AUTHOR=Gonçalves Adéritow Augusto Lopes Macedo , Dias Adelina Helena Campinha , Monteiro Davidson Daniel Sousa , Varela Isaías Baptista Fernandes , da Veiga Leal Silvânia 

TITLE=Blood meal survey reveals insights into mosquito-borne diseases on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Tropical Diseases

VOLUME=4

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/tropical-diseases/articles/10.3389/fitd.2023.1070172

DOI=10.3389/fitd.2023.1070172

ISSN=2673-7515

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>The transmission of pathogens by blood-sucking insects to humans and other animals depends on vector-host interactions. As yet unexplored in Cape Verde, mosquito feeding behavior plays a crucial role in pathogen transmission. Herein, we aim to explore, through blood meal analysis, the relationship between mosquito species and common hosts in Santiago Island, Cape Verde.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Engorged female mosquitoes were collected through mechanical aspiration from May 2016 to December 2017 in three municipalities of Santiago Island (Praia, Santa Cruz, and Santa Catarina). Blood-feeding behavior in each municipality was assessed through blood meal analysis using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>We were able to determine that single-host blood meals were common in <italic>Aedes aegypti, Anopheles arabiensis</italic>, and <italic>Culex pipiens sensu lato (s.l.)</italic>. In general, the mosquitoes preferred to feed on humans, dogs, and chickens, and on multiple hosts, mainly two hosts. The human blood index (HBI) was highest (i.e., 1.00) in <italic>Ae. aegypti</italic>, with the lowest value (0.40) observed in <italic>An. arabiensis</italic>. It was observed that, among single-host blood meals, the likelihood of <italic>Cx. pipiens s.l.</italic> feeding on humans was significantly high, whereas the likelihood of <italic>An. arabiensis</italic> feeding on humans was significantly low (log-odds ratio (LOR) = 0.85 and –2.44, respectively). In addition, a high likelihood of <italic>Ae. aegypti</italic> feeding on humans was observed, but this was not statistically significant (LOR = 0.85).</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>Overall, our findings demonstrate a lack of feeding preference in <italic>Culex pipiens s.l.</italic> compared with <italic>Ae. aegypti</italic> and <italic>An. arabiensis</italic>. These results provide insights into possible parasite transmission and pathogen spillover/spillback, which threaten human/animal health and the economy in Cape Verde.</p></sec>