Non-human primate antibody response to mosquito salivary proteins: Implications for dengue virus transmission in Puerto Rico.
An important step to incriminate a mosquito as a vector of a disease pathogen is finding evidence of direct contact between the mosquito and humans. Typically, this is accomplished through landing/biting catches, or host blood meal analysis in engorged mosquitoes via immunologic assays. An alternate approach is to identify the presence of specific mosquito anti-saliva protein antibodies in the blood of exposed hosts. Following the discovery of dengue infected, free roaming non-human primates in Puerto Rico, we investigated which mosquito species had bitten these primates using a serologic assay. Serum samples from 20 patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas) and two rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were used to evaluate mosquito bite exposure to Aedes aegypti, Aedes mediovittatus, Aedes taeniorhynchus, and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. Of 22 non-human primates examined 20 (90%), 17 (77%), 13 (59%), and 7 (31%) were positive for exposure to Ae. mediovittatus, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Ae. taeniorhynchus, and Ae. aegypti, respectively. Our findings indicated that free-roaming primates in Puerto Rico were exposed to the bites of one proven dengue vector, Ae. aegypti and one potential dengue vector, Ae. mediovittatus.
Dengue Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan 00920, Puerto Rico. Electronic address: rhemme@cdc.gov.
Ryan R
RR
Hemme
Dengue Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan 00920, Puerto Rico. Electronic address: betty.k.poolesmith.mil@mail.mil.
B Katherine
BK
Poole-Smith
Dengue Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan 00920, Puerto Rico. Electronic address: enh4@cdc.gov.
Elizabeth A
EA
Hunsperger
Dengue Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan 00920, Puerto Rico. Electronic address: ckn5@cdc.gov.
Gilberto E
GE
Felix
Office of the Director (Division of Vector Borne Diseases), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States. Electronic address: jqe2@cdc.gov.
Kalanthe
K
Horiuchi
Office of the Director (Division of Vector Borne Diseases), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States. Electronic address: bkb5@cdc.gov.
Brad J
BJ
Biggerstaff
Fish and Wildlife Bureau, Puerto Rico Department of Natural & Environmental Resources, San Juan 00936, Puerto Rico. Electronic address: rlopez@drna.gobierno.pr.
Ricardo
R
Lopez-Ortiz
Dengue Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan 00920, Puerto Rico. Electronic address: amz9@cdc.gov.
Roberto
R
Barrera
D000330:Aedes / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003465:Culex / Q000502:physiology*; D003715:Dengue / Q000635:transmission*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000502:physiology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000276:immunology*; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000276:immunology*
D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides
Aedes aegypti; Aedes mediovittatus; Anti-salivary gland protein antibodies; Culex quinquefasciatus; Dengue; Non-human primates