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Jeffries CL, Tantely LM, Kadriaj P, Blagrove MSC, Lytra I, Orsborne J, Al-Amin HM, Mohammed AR, Alam MS, Girod R, Afrane YA, Bino S, Robert V, Boyer S, Baylis M, Velo E, Hughes GL, Walker T. Mitochondrial and microbial diversity of the invasive mosquito vector species Culex tritaeniorhynchus across its extensive inter-continental geographic range. Wellcome Open Res 2024; 9:18. [PMID: 38800519 PMCID: PMC11128058 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.20761.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Culex (Cx.) tritaeniorhynchus is an invasive mosquito species with an extensive and expanding inter-continental distribution, currently reported across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and now Australia. It is an important vector of medical and veterinary pathogens which cause significant morbidity and mortality in human and animal populations. Across regions endemic for Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), Cx. tritaeniorhynchus is considered the major vector and has also been shown to contribute to the transmission of several other zoonotic arboviruses including Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) and West Nile virus (WNV). Methods In this study, we used laboratory vector competence experiments to determine if Cx. tritaeniorhynchus from a Southern European population were competent JEV vectors. We also obtained samples from multiple geographically dispersed Cx. tritaeniorhynchus populations from countries within Europe, Africa, Eurasia and Asia to perform phylogenetic analysis to measure the level of mitochondrial divergence using the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 ( CO1) gene. We also undertook bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to determine microbial diversity and used multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) to determine any evidence for the presence of strains of the naturally occurring endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia. Results Cx. tritaeniorhynchus from a Greek population were shown be be competent vectors of JEV with high levels of virus present in saliva. We found a signficant level of mitochondrial genetic diversity using the mosquito CO1 gene between geographically dispersed populations. Furthermore, we report diverse microbiomes identified by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing within and between geographical populations. Evidence for the detection of the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia was confirmed using Wolbachia-specific PCR and MLST. Conclusions This study enhances our understanding of the diversity of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus and the associated microbiome across its inter-continental range and highlights the need for greater surveillance of this invasive vector species in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire L. Jeffries
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Luciano M Tantely
- Unite d'entomologie medicale, Institute Pasteur de Madagascar, Antanarivo, Madagascar
| | - Perparim Kadriaj
- Vector Control Unit, Control of Infectious Diseases Department, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania
| | - Marcus S C Blagrove
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, UK
- Health Protection Research Unit on Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, UK
| | - Ioanna Lytra
- Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - James Orsborne
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Hasan Mohammad Al-Amin
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Abdul Rahim Mohammed
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Accra, Greater Accra Region, Ghana
| | - Mohammad Shafiul Alam
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Romain Girod
- Unite d'entomologie medicale, Institute Pasteur de Madagascar, Antanarivo, Madagascar
| | - Yaw A Afrane
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Accra, Greater Accra Region, Ghana
| | - Silvia Bino
- Vector Control Unit, Control of Infectious Diseases Department, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania
| | - Vincent Robert
- MIVEGEC, CNRS, Institute of Research for Development (IRD), University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Sebastien Boyer
- Unite d'entomologie medicale, Institute Pasteur de Madagascar, Antanarivo, Madagascar
- Medical and Veterinary Entomology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Matthew Baylis
- Health Protection Research Unit on Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, UK
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, UK
| | - Enkelejda Velo
- Vector Control Unit, Control of Infectious Diseases Department, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania
| | - Grant L Hughes
- Departments of Vector Biology and Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, UK
| | - Thomas Walker
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, England, UK
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