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Mora-Rubio C, Ferraguti M, Magallanes S, Bravo-Barriga D, Hernandez-Caballero I, Marzal A, de Lope F. Unravelling the mosquito-haemosporidian parasite-bird host network in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula: insights into malaria infections, mosquito community and feeding preferences. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:395. [PMID: 37915080 PMCID: PMC10619300 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05964-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BAKGROUND Vector-borne diseases affecting humans, wildlife and livestock have significantly increased their incidence and distribution in the last decades. Because the interaction among vectors-parasite-vertebrate hosts plays a key role driving vector-borne disease transmission, the analyses of the diversity and structure of vector-parasite networks and host-feeding preference may help to assess disease risk. Also, the study of seasonal variations in the structure and composition of vector and parasite communities may elucidate the current patterns of parasite persistence and spread as well as facilitate prediction of how climate variations may impact vector-borne disease transmission. Avian malaria and related haemosporidian parasites constitute an exceptional model to understand the ecology and evolution of vector-borne diseases. However, the characterization of vector-haemosporidian parasite-bird host assemblages is largely unknown in many regions. METHODS Here, we analyzed 5859 female mosquitoes captured from May to November in five localities from southwestern Spain to explore the composition and seasonal variation of the vector-parasite-vertebrate host network. RESULTS We showed a gradual increase in mosquito abundance, peaking in July. A total of 16 different haemosporidian lineages were found infecting 13 mosquito species. Of these assemblages, more than 70% of these vector-parasite associations have not been described in previous studies. Moreover, three Haemoproteus lineages were reported for the first time in this study. The prevalence of avian malaria infections in mosquitoes varied significantly across the months, reaching a maximum in November. Mosquito blood-feeding preference was higher for mammals (62.5%), whereas 37.5% of vectors fed on birds, suggesting opportunistic feeding behavior. CONCLUSION These outcomes improve our understanding of disease transmission risk and help tovector control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Mora-Rubio
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Facultad de Ciencias, Avenida de Elvas S/N, 06006, Badajoz, Spain.
| | - Martina Ferraguti
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Facultad de Ciencias, Avenida de Elvas S/N, 06006, Badajoz, Spain.
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación y Cambio Global, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092, Seville, Spain.
- Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Sergio Magallanes
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Facultad de Ciencias, Avenida de Elvas S/N, 06006, Badajoz, Spain
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación y Cambio Global, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092, Seville, Spain
| | - Daniel Bravo-Barriga
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Parasitología, Universidad de Extremadura, Facultad de Veterinaria, Avda. Universidad S/N, 10003, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Irene Hernandez-Caballero
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Facultad de Ciencias, Avenida de Elvas S/N, 06006, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Alfonso Marzal
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Facultad de Ciencias, Avenida de Elvas S/N, 06006, Badajoz, Spain
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Fauna Silvestre, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Jr. Maynas 1777, 22021, Tarapoto, Perú
| | - Florentino de Lope
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Facultad de Ciencias, Avenida de Elvas S/N, 06006, Badajoz, Spain
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Identification of Usutu Virus Africa 3 Lineage in a Survey of Mosquitoes and Birds from Urban Areas of Western Spain. Transbound Emerg Dis 2023. [DOI: 10.1155/2023/6893677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging zoonotic arbovirus that has caused an increasing number of animal and human cases in Europe in recent years. Understanding the vector species and avian hosts involved in the USUV enzootic cycle in an area of active circulation is vital to anticipate potential outbreaks. Mosquitoes were captured in 2020, while wild birds were sampled in both 2020 and 2021 in Extremadura, southwestern Spain. The presence of USUV in the mosquito vectors was assessed by a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay and confirmed by sequencing amplicons from two generic RT-PCR sets for flaviviruses. Sequences were analysed phylogenetically. Bird sera were screened for flavivirus antibodies with a blocking ELISA kit and subsequently tested for virus-specific antibodies with a micro-virus-neutralization test. Overall, 6,004 mosquitoes belonging to 13 species were captured, including some well-known flavivirus vectors (Culex pipiens, Cx. perexiguus, and Cx. univittatus). Of the 438 pools tested, USUV was detected in two pools of Cx. pipiens. Phylogenetic analysis using a fragment of the NS5 gene assigned the USUV detected the Africa 3 lineage. Out of 1,413 wild birds tested, USUV-specific antibodies were detected in 17 birds (1.2%, 10 males and 7 females) from eight species. The first detection of USUV Africa 3 lineage in mosquitoes from Spain, together with serologically positive resident wild birds in urban and rural areas, indicates active circulation and a possible risk of exposure for the human population, with necessity to establish specific surveillance plans.
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Cuervo PF, Artigas P, Mas-Coma S, Bargues MD. West Nile virus in Spain: Forecasting the geographical distribution of risky areas with an ecological niche modelling approach. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:e1113-e1129. [PMID: 34812589 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14398] [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: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV), a well-known emerging vector-borne arbovirus with a zoonotic life cycle, represents a threat to both public and animal health. Transmitted by ornithophilic mosquitoes, its transmission is difficult to predict and even more difficult to prevent. The massive and unprecedented number of human cases and equid outbreaks in Spain during 2020 interpellates for new approaches. For the first time, we present an integrate analysis from a niche perspective to provide an insight to the situation of West Nile disease (WND) in Spain. Our modelling approach benefits from the combined use of global occurrence records of outbreaks of WND in equids and of its two alleged main vectors in Spain, Culex pipiens and Cx. perexiguus. Maps of the climatic suitability for the presence of the two vectors species and for the circulation of WNV are provided. The main outcome of our study is a map delineating the areas under certain climatic risk of transmission. Our analyses indicate that the climatic risk of transmission of WND is medium in areas nearby the south Atlantic coastal area of the Cadiz Gulf and the Mediterranean coast, and high in southwestern Spain. The higher risk of transmission in the basins of the rivers Guadiana and Guadalquivir cannot be attributed exclusively to the local abundance of Cx. pipiens, but could be ascribed to the presence and abundance of Cx. perexiguus. Furthermore, this integrated analysis suggests that the WNV presents an ecological niche of its own, not fully overlapping the ones of its hosts or vector, and thus requiring particular environmental conditions to succeed in its infection cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Fernando Cuervo
- Facultad de Farmacia, Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.,Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICIVET - Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL)/Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Patricio Artigas
- Facultad de Farmacia, Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Santiago Mas-Coma
- Facultad de Farmacia, Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - María Dolores Bargues
- Facultad de Farmacia, Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
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Bravo-Barriga D, Aguilera-Sepúlveda P, Guerrero-Carvajal F, Llorente F, Reina D, Pérez-Martín JE, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Frontera E. West Nile and Usutu virus infections in wild birds admitted to rehabilitation centres in Extremadura, western Spain, 2017-2019. Vet Microbiol 2021; 255:109020. [PMID: 33677369 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2021.109020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging flavivirus transmitted generally by mosquitoes of Culex genus. It is maintained in an enzootic life cycle where birds act as reservoir hosts. Humans and horses are also susceptible to infection, and occasionally, they suffer from neurological complications. However, they do not transmit the virus to other vectors, behaving as dead-end hosts. Sporadic WNV outbreaks observed in horses and wild birds from Extremadura (western Spain) during 2016 and 2017 seasons prompted to carry out this survey in wild birds, focused on specimens coming from two wildlife rehabilitation centres. Between October 2017 and December 2019, samples from 391 wild birds, belonging to 56 different species were collected and analysed in search of evidence of WNV infection. The analysis of serum samples for WNV-specific antibodies by ELISA, whose specificity was subsequently confirmed by virus-neutralisation test (VNT) showed positive results in 18.23 % birds belonging to 18 different species. Pelecaniformes (33.33 %), Accipitriformes (25.77 %) and Strigiformes (22.92 %) orders had the higher seroprevalences. Remarkably, WNV-specific antibodies were found in a black stork for the first time in Europe. Analysis by real time RT-PCR in symptomatic birds confirmed the presence of WNV lineage 1 RNA in griffon vulture and little owls. Specificity analysis of ELISA positive and doubtful sera was performed by differential VNT titration against WNV and two other cross-reacting avian flaviviruses found in Spain: Usutu virus (USUV) and Bagaza virus (BAGV). Only four samples showed USUV-specific antibodies (1.04 %) corresponding to three species: Eurasian eagle-owl, griffon vulture and great bustard (first detection in Europe) whereas no samples were found reactive to BAGV. Differential VNT yielded undetermined flavivirus result in 16 samples (4.17 %). This is the first study carried out on wild birds from Extremadura (western Spain). It highlights the widespread circulation of WNV in the region and its co-circulation with USUV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Bravo-Barriga
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura (UEx), Cáceres, Spain.
| | - Pilar Aguilera-Sepúlveda
- Animal Health Research Centre, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA-CISA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Francisco Llorente
- Animal Health Research Centre, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA-CISA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
| | - David Reina
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura (UEx), Cáceres, Spain.
| | - J Enrique Pérez-Martín
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura (UEx), Cáceres, Spain.
| | - Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Clavero
- Animal Health Research Centre, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA-CISA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Eva Frontera
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura (UEx), Cáceres, Spain.
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