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Seechurn N, Herdman MT, Hernandez-Colina A, Vaux AGC, Johnston C, Berrell M, Lopez J, Eckley L, Gonzalez-Olvera M, Gillespie L, Kelly PP, Baylis M, Medlock JM. Field-based assessments of the seasonality of Culex pipiens sensu lato in England: an important enzootic vector of Usutu and West Nile viruses. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:61. [PMID: 38342888 PMCID: PMC10859028 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06143-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Usutu virus (USUV), which is closely related to West Nile virus (WNV), sharing a similar ecology and transmission cycle, was first reported in the UK in the southeast of England in 2020. Both USUV and WNV are emerging zoonotic viruses hosted by wild birds. The 2020 finding of USUV in England raised awareness of this virus and highlighted the importance of understanding the seasonality of Culex pipiens sensu lato (Cx. pipiens s.l.), the main enzootic vector of these viruses. Zoos are prime locations for trapping mosquitoes because of their infrastructure, security, and range of vertebrate hosts and aquatic habitats. METHODS Three independent zoo-based case studies at four locations that cover the seasonality of Cx. pipiens s.l. in England were undertaken: (i) London Zoo (Zoological Society London [ZSL]) and surrounding areas, London; (ii) Chester Zoo (Cheshire); (ii) Twycross Zoo (Leicestershire); and (iv) Flamingo Land (zoo; North Yorkshire). Various adult mosquito traps were used to catch adult Cx. pipiens s.l. across seasons. RESULTS High yields of Cx. pipiens s.l./Culex torrentium were observed in Biogents-Mosquitaire and Center for Disease Control and Prevention Gravid traps in all studies where these traps were used. Mosquito counts varied between sites and between years. Observations of adult Cx. pipiens s.l./Cx. torrentium abundance and modelling studies demonstrated peak adult abundance between late July and early August, with active adult female Cx. pipiens s.l./Cx. torrentium populations between May and September. CONCLUSIONS The information collated in this study illustrates the value of multiple mosquito monitoring approaches in zoos to describe the seasonality of this UK vector across multiple sites in England and provides a framework that can be used for ongoing and future surveillance programmes and disease risk management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Seechurn
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - M Trent Herdman
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
- UK Field Epidemiology Training Programme Field Service, South East and London, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
| | - Arturo Hernandez-Colina
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Alexander G C Vaux
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Colin Johnston
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Morgan Berrell
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Javier Lopez
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Lindsay Eckley
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Merit Gonzalez-Olvera
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Lisa Gillespie
- Twycross Zoo, East Midland Zoological Society, Burton Road, Atherstone, CV9 3PX, UK
| | - Paul Pearce Kelly
- Zoological Society of London, Outer Circle, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Matthew Baylis
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jolyon M Medlock
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
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Tiron GV, Stancu IG, Dinu S, Prioteasa FL, Fălcuță E, Ceianu CS, Cotar AI. Characterization and Host-Feeding Patterns of Culex pipiens s.l. Taxa in a West Nile Virus-Endemic Area in Southeastern Romania. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2021; 21:713-719. [PMID: 34160283 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2020.2739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Culex pipiens sensu lato has been documented as West Nile virus (WNV) vector in southeastern Romania. Bucharest, the densely populated capital city of Romania, and the surrounding Ilfov county are WNV hotspots. In this area, the morphologically indistinguishable biotypes of Cx. pipiens, namely pipiens and molestus, are usually differentiated by their behavioral and physiological traits. Their involvement in WNV transmission, as suggested by entomological investigations, was not previously documented for each biotype. We used a Real-Time PCR assay based on CQ11 microsatellite to identify the Cx. pipiens biotypes and their hybrids collected in various habitats in the Bucharest metropolitan area. A sympatric distribution of both biotypes was observed, with a preference of green areas for pipiens, and human settings and animal farmlands for molestus. In the latter habitats, pipiens and molestus were found in mixed aboveground populations. A low number of hybrids was found suggesting existence of reproductive isolation. In subway tunnels molestus was dominant with a higher number of hybrids recorded than aboveground. Blood-engorged mosquitoes were identified to biotype and the blood meal source identified by DNA barcoding. Overall, Cx. pipiens s.l. fed mainly on birds, commonly on house sparrows, collared doves, and blackbirds, which are potential WNV-amplifying hosts. The preference for avian hosts was expressed strongest by pipiens biotype, while molestus was substantially less specific, feeding on avian and mammal hosts with similar frequency, with humans representing 20% of the hosts. Hybrids had a host choice closer to that of molestus. These findings highlight the role of pipiens biotype as enzootic/epizootic vector, and specifically show molestus as the bridge vector for WNV. The pipiens and molestus biotypes show important differences in habitat preferences, including oviposition; these findings demonstrate that targeted mosquito control to limit WNV transmission may be possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgiana Victorița Tiron
- Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania
- Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ioana Georgeta Stancu
- Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania
- Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Sorin Dinu
- Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florian Liviu Prioteasa
- Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Elena Fălcuță
- Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Ani Ioana Cotar
- Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania
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Lühken R, Steinke S, Leggewie M, Tannich E, Krüger A, Becker S, Kiel E. Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Culex pipiens sensu lato and Culex torrentium (Diptera: Culicidae) Breeding Sites in Germany. J Med Entomol 2015; 52:932-936. [PMID: 26336210 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Culex pipiens sensu lato (L.) and Culex torrentium Martini, 1925 are two widely distributed mosquito species in Europe. Due to difficulties in morphological discrimination, the current knowledge on differences in the breeding ecology is fragmentary. Therefore, this study evaluated the relation between the presence-absence of both species at various types of breeding habitats in response to physico-chemical parameters, using a recently developed molecular assay that allows reliable species-specific typing of larvae and pupae. The results revealed that the two species often occur in sympatry at the studied breeding sites, and there were no substantial differences concerning presence-absence of the two species with regard to the various environmental parameters investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renke Lühken
- Research group Aquatic Ecology and Nature Conservation, Carl von Ossietzky University, Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany. Corresponding author, e-mail:
| | - Sonja Steinke
- Research group Aquatic Ecology and Nature Conservation, Carl von Ossietzky University, Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Mayke Leggewie
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Egbert Tannich
- Corresponding author, e-mail: . German Centre for Infection Research, partner site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel, HamburgBernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Krüger
- Bundeswehr Hospital Hamburg, Lesserstraße 180, 22049 Hamburg, Germany. Okavango Research Institute, Maun, 4775 Notwane Rd. Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Stefanie Becker
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany. Institute for Infectiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Am Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ellen Kiel
- Research group Aquatic Ecology and Nature Conservation, Carl von Ossietzky University, Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
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