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Bouafou L, Makanga BK, Rahola N, Boddé M, Ngangué MF, Daron J, Berger A, Mouillaud T, Makunin A, Korlević P, Nwezeobi J, Kengne P, Paupy C, Lawniczak MKN, Ayala D. Host preference patterns in domestic and wild settings: Insights into Anopheles feeding behavior. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13693. [PMID: 38828055 PMCID: PMC11143308 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The adaptation of Anopheles malaria vectors to domestic settings is directly linked to their ability to feed on humans. The strength of this species-habitat association is unequal across the species within the genus, with the major vectors being particularly dependent on humans. However, our understanding of how blood-feeding behavior interacts with and adapts to environmental settings, including the presence of humans, remains limited. Using a field-based approach, we first investigated Anopheles community structure and feeding behavior patterns in domestic and sylvatic settings in La Lopé National Park in Gabon, Central Africa. We characterized the preference indices using a dual-host choice sampling approach across mosquito species, habitats, and seasons. We then quantified the plastic biting behavior of mosquito species in each habitat. We collected individuals from 16 Anopheles species that exhibited significant differences in species composition and abundance between sylvatic and domestic settings. The host-seeking behavior also varied among the seven most abundant species. The general attractiveness to each host, human or animal, remained relatively constant for each species, but with significant variations between habitats across species. These variations, to more generalist and to more anthropophilic behavior, were related to seasonal changes and distance from the village, respectively. Finally, we pointed out that the host choice of major malaria vectors changed in the absence of humans, revealing a plastic feeding behavior of these species. This study highlights the effect of humans on Anopheles distribution and feeding evolution. The characterization of feeding behavior in wild and domestic settings provides opportunities to better understand the interplay between genetic determinants of host preference and ecological factors. Our findings suggest that protected areas may offer alternative thriving conditions to major malaria vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lemonde Bouafou
- UMR MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRDMontpellierFrance
- CIRMFFrancevilleGabon
| | | | - Nil Rahola
- UMR MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | | | | | - Josquin Daron
- UMR MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Audric Berger
- UMR MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Theo Mouillaud
- UMR MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | | | | | | | - Pierre Kengne
- UMR MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRDMontpellierFrance
- CIRMFFrancevilleGabon
| | - Christophe Paupy
- UMR MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | | | - Diego Ayala
- UMR MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRDMontpellierFrance
- Medical Entomology UnitInstitut Pasteur de MadagascarAntananarivoMadagascar
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2
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Matute DR, Cooper BS. Aedes albopictus is present in the lowlands of southern Zambia. Acta Trop 2024; 251:107115. [PMID: 38184292 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Identifying the current geographic range of disease vectors is a critical first step towards determining effective mechanisms for controlling and potentially eradicating them. This is particularly true given that historical vector ranges may expand due to changing climates and human activity. The Aedes subgenus Stegomyia contains over 100 species, and among them, Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes represent the largest concern for public health, spreading dengue, chikungunya, and zika viruses. While Ae. aegypti has been observed in the country of Zambia for decades, Ae. albopictus has not. In 2015 we sampled four urban and three rural areas in Zambia for Aedes species. Using DNA barcoding, we confirmed the presence of immature and adult Ae. albopictus at two sites: Siavonga and Livingstone. These genotypes seem most closely related to specimens previously collected in Mozambique based on mtDNA barcoding. We resampled Siavonga and Livingstone sites in 2019, again observing immature and adult Ae. albopictus at both sites. Relative Ae. albopictus frequencies were similar between sites, with the exception of immature life stages, which were higher in Siavonga than in Livingstone in 2019. While Ae. albopictus frequencies did not vary through time in Livingstone, both immature and adult frequencies increased through time in Siavonga. This report serves to document the presence of Ae. albopictus in Zambia, which will contribute to understanding the potential public health implications of this disease vector in southern Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Matute
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina, 250 Bell Tower Drive, Genome Sciences Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27510, United States.
| | - Brandon S Cooper
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Dr., Missoula, MT 59812, United States
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3
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Rader JA, Serrato-Capuchina A, Anspach T, Matute DR. The spread of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. Acta Trop 2024; 251:107106. [PMID: 38185188 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
The mosquito Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) is a vector species of the causal agents of Dengue, yellow fever, and Zika among other diseases pathogens. The species originated in Southeast Asia and has spread widely and rapidly in the last century. The species has been reported in localities from the Gulf of Guinea since the early 2000s, but systematic sampling has been scant. We sampled Ae. albopictus twice, in 2013 and 2023 across the altitudinal gradient in São Tomé and found that the species was present in all sampled years at altitudes up to 680 m. We also found some evidence of increases in proportional representation compared to Ae. aegypti over time. We report the presence of the species in Príncipe for the first time, suggesting that the range of Ae. albopictus is larger than previously thought. Finally, we use bioclimatic niche modeling to infer the potential range of Ae. albopictus and infer that the species has the potential to spread across a large portion of São Tomé and Príncipe. Our results suggest that Ae. albopictus has established itself as a resident species of the islands of the Gulf of Guinea and should be incorporated into the list of potential vectors that need to be surveyed and controlled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A Rader
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina, 250 Bell Tower Drive, Genome Sciences Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27510, USA
| | | | - Tayte Anspach
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina, 250 Bell Tower Drive, Genome Sciences Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27510, USA
| | - Daniel R Matute
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina, 250 Bell Tower Drive, Genome Sciences Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27510, USA.
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4
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Becquart P, Bohou Kombila L, Mebaley TN, Paupy C, Garcia D, Nesi N, Olive MM, Vanhomwegen J, Boundenga L, Mombo IM, Piro-Mégy C, Fritz M, Lenguiya LH, Ar Gouilh M, Leroy EM, N’Dilimabaka N, Cêtre-Sossah C, Maganga GD. Evidence for circulation of Rift Valley fever virus in wildlife and domestic animals in a forest environment in Gabon, Central Africa. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011756. [PMID: 38427694 PMCID: PMC10936825 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne viral zoonosis caused by the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) that can infect domestic and wild animals. Although the RVFV transmission cycle has been well documented across Africa in savanna ecosystems, little is known about its transmission in tropical rainforest settings, particularly in Central Africa. We therefore conducted a survey in northeastern Gabon to assess RVFV circulation among wild and domestic animals. Among 163 wildlife samples tested using RVFV-specific RT-qPCR, four ruminants belonging to subfamily Cephalophinae were detected positive. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the four RVFV sequences clustered together with a virus isolated in Namibia within the well-structured Egyptian clade. A cross-sectional survey conducted on sheep, goats and dogs living in villages within the same area determined the IgG RVFV-specific antibody prevalence using cELISA. Out of the 306 small ruminants tested (214 goats, 92 sheep), an overall antibody prevalence of 15.4% (95% CI [11.5-19.9]) was observed with a higher rate in goats than in sheep (20.1% versus 3.3%). RVFV-specific antibodies were detected in a single dog out of the 26 tested. Neither age, sex of domestic animals nor season was found to be significant risk factors of RVFV occurrence. Our findings highlight sylvatic circulation of RVFV for the first time in Gabon. These results stress the need to develop adequate surveillance plan measures to better control the public health threat of RVFV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Becquart
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Montpellier University, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Linda Bohou Kombila
- Unité Emergence des Maladies Virales, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Telstar Ndong Mebaley
- Unité Emergence des Maladies Virales, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Christophe Paupy
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Montpellier University, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Déborah Garcia
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Montpellier University, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Nesi
- INSERM Dynamicure UMR 1311, CHU Caen, department of virology, University of Caen Normandie, Caen, France
| | - Marie-Marie Olive
- ASTRE (Animaux, Santé, Territoires, Risques et Ecosystèmes), University of Montpellier, CIRAD (Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement), INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement), Montpellier, France
| | - Jessica Vanhomwegen
- Cellule d’Intervention Biologique d’Urgence (CIBU), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Larson Boundenga
- Unité Emergence des Maladies Virales, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
- Department of Anthropology, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Illich Manfred Mombo
- Unité Emergence des Maladies Virales, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Camille Piro-Mégy
- ASTRE (Animaux, Santé, Territoires, Risques et Ecosystèmes), University of Montpellier, CIRAD (Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement), INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement), Montpellier, France
| | - Matthieu Fritz
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Montpellier University, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Meriadeg Ar Gouilh
- INSERM Dynamicure UMR 1311, CHU Caen, department of virology, University of Caen Normandie, Caen, France
| | - Eric M. Leroy
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Montpellier University, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Nadine N’Dilimabaka
- Unité Emergence des Maladies Virales, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
- Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku (USTM), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Catherine Cêtre-Sossah
- ASTRE (Animaux, Santé, Territoires, Risques et Ecosystèmes), University of Montpellier, CIRAD (Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement), INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement), Montpellier, France
| | - Gael Darren Maganga
- Unité Emergence des Maladies Virales, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
- Institut National Supérieur d’Agronomie et de Biotechnologies (INSAB), Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku (USTM), Franceville, Gabon
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5
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Poungou N, Sevidzem SL, Koumba AA, Koumba CRZ, Mbehang P, Onanga R, Zahouli JZB, Maganga GD, Djogbénou LS, Borrmann S, Adegnika AA, Becker SC, Mavoungou JF, Nguéma RM. Mosquito-Borne Arboviruses Occurrence and Distribution in the Last Three Decades in Central Africa: A Systematic Literature Review. Microorganisms 2023; 12:4. [PMID: 38276174 PMCID: PMC10819313 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Arboviruses represent a real public health problem globally and in the Central African subregion in particular, which represents a high-risk zone for the emergence and re-emergence of arbovirus outbreaks. Furthermore, an updated review on the current arbovirus burden and associated mosquito vectors is lacking for this region. To contribute to filling this knowledge gap, the current study was designed with the following objectives: (i) to systematically review data on the occurrence and distribution of arboviruses and mosquito fauna; and (ii) to identify potential spillover mosquito species in the Central African region in the last 30 years. A web search enabled the documentation of 2454 articles from different online databases. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) and the quality of reporting of meta-analyses (QUORUM) steps for a systematic review enabled the selection of 164 articles that fulfilled our selection criteria. Of the six arboviruses (dengue virus (DENV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), yellow fever virus (YFV), Zika virus (ZIKV), Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), and West Nile virus (WNV)) of public health concern studied, the most frequently reported were chikungunya and dengue. The entomological records showed >248 species of mosquitoes regrouped under 15 genera, with Anopheles (n = 100 species), Culex (n = 56 species), and Aedes (n = 52 species) having high species diversity. Three genera were rarely represented, with only one species included, namely, Orthopodomyia, Lutzia, and Verrallina, but individuals of the genera Toxorhinchites and Finlayas were not identified at the species level. We found that two Aedes species (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus) colonised the same microhabitat and were involved in major epidemics of the six medically important arboviruses, and other less-frequently identified mosquito genera consisted of competent species and were associated with outbreaks of medical and zoonotic arboviruses. The present study reveals a high species richness of competent mosquito vectors that could lead to the spillover of medically important arboviruses in the region. Although epidemiological studies were found, they were not regularly documented, and this also applies to vector competence and transmission studies. Future studies will consider unpublished information in dissertations and technical reports from different countries to allow their information to be more consistent. A regional project, entitled "Ecology of Arboviruses" (EcoVir), is underway in three countries (Gabon, Benin, and Cote d'Ivoire) to generate a more comprehensive epidemiological and entomological data on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natacha Poungou
- Ecole Doctorale Regionale en Infectiologie Tropical de Franceville (EDR), University of Science and Technique of Masuku (USTM), Franceville P.O. Box 943, Gabon;
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie des Maladies Transmissibles (LEMAT), Université Libreville Nord (ULN), Libreville P.O. Box 1177, Gabon
| | - Silas Lendzele Sevidzem
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie des Maladies Transmissibles (LEMAT), Université Libreville Nord (ULN), Libreville P.O. Box 1177, Gabon
| | - Aubin Armel Koumba
- Département de Biologie et Ecologie Animale, Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET-CENAREST), Libreville P.O. Box 13354, Gabon
| | - Christophe Roland Zinga Koumba
- Département de Biologie et Ecologie Animale, Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET-CENAREST), Libreville P.O. Box 13354, Gabon
| | - Phillipe Mbehang
- Département de Biologie et Ecologie Animale, Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET-CENAREST), Libreville P.O. Box 13354, Gabon
| | - Richard Onanga
- Center of Interdisciplinary Medical Analysis of Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville P.O. Box 769, Gabon
| | - Julien Zahouli Bi Zahouli
- Centre d’Entomologie Médicale et Vétérinaire, Université Alassane Ouattara, Bouaké 01 BPV 18, Côte d’Ivoire
| | - Gael Darren Maganga
- Center of Interdisciplinary Medical Analysis of Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville P.O. Box 769, Gabon
| | - Luc Salako Djogbénou
- Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Institut Régional de Santé Publique, Ouidah P.O. Box 384, Benin
| | - Steffen Borrmann
- Institute for Tropical Medicine (ITM), University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ayola Akim Adegnika
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné P.O. Box 242, Gabon
| | - Stefanie C. Becker
- Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Jacques François Mavoungou
- Département de Biologie et Ecologie Animale, Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET-CENAREST), Libreville P.O. Box 13354, Gabon
| | - Rodrigue Mintsa Nguéma
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie des Maladies Transmissibles (LEMAT), Université Libreville Nord (ULN), Libreville P.O. Box 1177, Gabon
- Département de Biologie et Ecologie Animale, Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET-CENAREST), Libreville P.O. Box 13354, Gabon
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6
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Matute DR, Cooper BS. Aedes albopictus is present in the lowlands of southern Zambia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.29.560125. [PMID: 37808696 PMCID: PMC10557682 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.29.560125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the current geographic range of disease vectors is a critical first step towards determining effective mechanisms for controlling and potentially eradicating them. This is particularly true given that historical vector ranges may expand due to changing climates and human activity. The Aedes subgenus Stegomyia contains over 100 species, and among them, Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes represent the largest concern for public health, spreading dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. While Ae. aegypti has been observed in the country of Zambia for decades, Ae. albopictus has not. In 2015 we sampled four urban and two rural areas in Zambia for Aedes species. Using DNA barcoding, we confirmed the presence of immature and adult Ae. albopictus at two rural sites: Siavonga and Livingstone. These genotypes seem most closely related to specimens previously collected in Mozambique based on CO1 sequence from mtDNA. We resampled Siavonga and Livingstone sites in 2019, again observing immature and adult Ae. albopictus at both sites. Relative Ae. albopictus frequencies were similar between sites, with the exception of immature life stages, which were higher in Siavonga than in Livingstone in 2019. While Ae. albopictus frequencies did not vary through time in Livingstone, both immature and adult frequencies increased through time in Siavonga. This report serves to document the presence of Ae. albopictus in Zambia, which will contribute to the process of determining the potential public health implications of this disease vector in Central Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Matute
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina, 250 Bell Tower Drive, Genome Sciences Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27510
| | - Brandon S Cooper
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Dr., Missoula, MT 59812
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