Autor(es): Faraji Ary, Egizi Andrea, Fonseca Dina M, Unlu Isik, Crepeau Taryn, Healy Sean P, Gaugler Randy

Resumo: Aedes albopictus is an invasive species which continues exp-ing its geographic range - involvement in mosquito-borne diseases such as chikungunya - dengue. Host selection patterns by invasive mosquitoes are critically important because they increase endemic disease transmission - drive outbreaks of exotic pathogens. Traditionally, Ae. albopictus has been characterized as an opportunistic feeder, primarily feeding on mammalian hosts but occasionally acquiring blood from avian sources as well. However, limited information is available on their feeding patterns in temperate regions of their exp-ed range. Because of the increasing expansion - abundance of Ae. albopictus - the escalating diagnoses of exotic pathogens in travelers returning from endemic areas, we investigated the host feeding patterns of this species in newly invaded areas to further shed light on its role in disease ecology - assess the public health threat of an exotic arbovirus outbreak. We identified the vertebrate source of 165 blood meals in Ae. albopictus collected between 2008 - 2011 from urban - suburban areas in northeastern USA. We used a network of Biogents Sentinel traps, which enhance Ae. albopictus capture counts, to conduct our collections of blooded mosquitoes. We also analyzed blooded Culex mosquitoes collected alongside Ae. albopictus in order to examine the composition of the community of blood sources. We found no evidence of bias since as expected Culex blood meals were predominantly from birds (n = 149, 93.7%) with only a small proportion feeding on mammals (n = 10, 6.3%). In contrast, Aedes albopictus fed exclusively on mammalian hosts with over 90% of their blood meals derived from humans (n = 96, 58.2%) - domesticated pets (n = 38, 23.0% cats; - n = 24, 14.6% dogs). Aedes albopictus fed from humans significantly more often in suburban than in urban areas (?(2), p = 0.004) - cat-derived blood meals were greater in urban habitats (?(2), p = 0.022). Avian-derived blood meals were not detected in any of the Ae. albopictus tested. The high mammalian affinity of Ae. albopictus suggests that this species will be an efficient vector of mammal- - human-driven zoonoses such as La Crosse, dengue, - chikungunya viruses. The lack of blood meals obtained from birds by Ae. albopictus suggest that this species may have limited exposure to endemic avian zoonoses such as St. Louis encephalitis - West Nile virus, which already circulate in the USA. However, growing populations of Ae. albopictus in major metropolitan urban - suburban centers, make a large autochthonous outbreak of an arbovirus such as chikungunya or dengue viruses a clear - present danger. Given the difficulties of Ae. albopictus suppression, we recommend that public health practitioners - policy makers install proactive measures for the imminent mitigation of an exotic pathogen outbreak.

Imprenta: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, v. 8, n. 8, p. e3037, 2014

Identificador do objeto digital: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003037

Descritores: Chikungunya virus - Arbovirus ; Chikungunya virus - Pathogenesis ; Chikungunya virus - Viral infections ; Chikungunya Virus - Virus ; Chikungunya virus - Transmission ; Chikungunya virus - Chikungunya fever ; Chikungunya virus - Dengue ; Chikungunya virus - Public health

Data de publicação: 2014

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