Determination of mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) bloodmeal sources in Western Australia: implications for arbovirus transmission.
A double-antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the bloodmeal sources of adult mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) collected in encephalitis vector surveillance mosquito traps in Western Australia between May 1993 and August 2004. In total, 2,606 blood-fed mosquitoes, representing 29 mosquito species, were tested, and 81.7% reacted with one or more of the primary antibodies. Aedes camptorhynchus (Thomson) and Culex annulirostris Skuse were the most common species tested, making up 47.2% (1,234) and 35.6% (930), respectively. These species obtained bloodmeals from a variety of vertebrate hosts but particularly marsupials and cows. In contrast, Culex pullus Theobald (72.7%; 24/33), Culiseta atra (Lee) (70.0%; 7/10), Culex globocoxitus Dobrotworsky (54.5%; 12/22), and Culex quinquefasciatus Say (39.3%; 22/56) often obtained bloodmeals from birds. Although Ae. camptorhynchus and Cx. annulirostris are well established vectors of arboviruses, other mosquitoes also may have a role in enzootic and/ or epizootic transmission.
Johansen
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Discipline of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical, Biomolecular, and Chemical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia. cjohanse@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Power
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Broom
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D000818:Animals; D001102:Arbovirus Infections / Q000635:transmission; D001717:Birds; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D009033:Culicidae; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008394:Marsupialia; D011817:Rabbits; D012756:Sheep; D013552:Swine; D014904:Western Australia