Host feeding patterns of potential vectors of eastern equine encephalitis virus at an epizootic focus in Tennessee.
In 2006, 2,817 blood-fed mosquitoes were collected from the site of a 2005 eastern equine encephalitis outbreak in Chester County, TN. Using a polymerase chain reaction-based assay, 264 vertebrate hosts were identified from seven mosquito species. Culex erraticus and Cx. nigripalpus fed on a diversity of mammalian, avian, and reptilian hosts, whereas Anopheles quadrimaculatus and An. punctipennis were predominantly mammalophagic. Overall, 27% of Cx. nigripalpus, 16% of Cx. erraticus, and 7% of An. quadrimaculatus blood meals were acquired from avian hosts. No avian-derived blood meals were identified from An. punctipennis. The house finch, Carolina wren, and mourning dove were the most commonly identified avian host species. By incorporating this study with flight range, vector competence, and virus field isolation data, we assessed certain aspects of the enzootic and epizootic vectorial capacity of the mosquito species present at this outbreak site.
Cohen
Sara B
SB
Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Communicable and Environmental Diseases, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee 37216, USA. Sara.Cohen@tn.gov
Lewoczko
Kenneth
K
Huddleston
Dora B
DB
Moody
Erin
E
Mukherjee
Sudeshna
S
Dunn
John R
JR
Jones
Timothy F
TF
Wilson
Ron
R
Moncayo
Abelardo C
AC
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000097:blood; D009033:Culicidae / Q000502:physiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D004663:Encephalitis Virus, Eastern Equine; D004683:Encephalomyelitis, Equine / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000502:physiology*; D008322:Mammals / Q000097:blood; D012104:Reptiles / Q000097:blood; D013045:Species Specificity; D013714:Tennessee / Q000453:epidemiology