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Hoque MM, Valentine MJ, Kelly PJ, Barua S, Murillo DFB, Wang C. Modification of the Folmer primers for the cytochrome c oxidase gene facilitates identification of mosquitoes. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:437. [PMID: 36419198 PMCID: PMC9682724 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05494-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accurate identification of mosquito species is essential for the development and optimization of strategies to control mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases. Problems with the morphological identification of mosquito species have led to the use of molecular identification techniques, in particular the Folmer cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) PCR system (FCOS), originally designed to identify a range of other invertebrates. METHODS As there can be difficulties identifying mosquitoes using FCOS, we re-evaluated the FCOS primers and developed a new COI-based SYBR PCR (the Auburn COI system-AUCOS) to improve the molecular identification of mosquitoes. Sequence data in GenBank for 33 species from 10 genera of mosquitoes were used to develop our AUCOS primers. Two molecular assays (AUCOS, FCOS) and morphological identification were carried out on mosquitoes collected from the field in Auburn, Alabama (USA) and on Saint Kitts. RESULTS With a convenience sample of individual mosquitoes comprising 19 species from six genera in Saint Kitts (n = 77) and Auburn (n = 48), our AUCOS provided higher-quality sequence data than FCOS. It also proved more sensitive than FCOS, successfully amplifying 67.5% (85/126) as opposed to 16.7% (21/126) of the samples. The species determined by morphology, or genus with damaged samples, matched that as determined by AUCOS for 84.9% (62/73) of the samples. Morphological classification was confirmed by FCOS with 81.0% (17/21) of samples producing utilizable sequences. While both FCOS and AUCOS correctly identified all the Aedes, Anopheles, Deinocerites, and Uranotaenia species in the study, identification of Culex species was less successful with both methods: 50.0% (3/6) by FCOS and 35.7% (5/14) by AUCOS. CONCLUSIONS The AUCOS DNA barcoding system for mosquito species described in this study is superior to the existing FCOS for the identification of mosquito species. As AUCOS and FCOS amplify the same variable region of the COI, the large amount of existing data on GenBank can be used to identify mosquito species with sequences produced by either PCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Monirul Hoque
- grid.252546.20000 0001 2297 8753College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5519 USA
| | | | | | - Subarna Barua
- grid.252546.20000 0001 2297 8753College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5519 USA
| | - Daniel Felipe Barrantes Murillo
- grid.252546.20000 0001 2297 8753College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5519 USA
| | - Chengming Wang
- grid.252546.20000 0001 2297 8753College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5519 USA
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Valentine MJ, Ciraola B, Jacobs GR, Arnot C, Kelly PJ, Murdock CC. Effects of seasonality and land use on the diversity, relative abundance, and distribution of mosquitoes on St. Kitts, West Indies. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:543. [PMID: 33138849 PMCID: PMC7607626 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04421-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mosquito surveys that collect local data on mosquito species' abundances provide baseline data to help understand potential host-pathogen-mosquito relationships, predict disease transmission, and target mosquito control efforts. METHODS We conducted an adult mosquito survey from November 2017 to March 2019 on St. Kitts, using Biogents Sentinel 2 traps, set monthly and run for 48-h intervals. We collected mosquitoes from a total of 30 sites distributed across agricultural, mangrove, rainforest, scrub and urban land covers. We investigated spatial variation in mosquito species richness across the island using a hierarchical Bayesian multi-species occupancy model. We developed a mixed effects negative binomial regression model to predict the effects of spatial variation in land cover, and seasonal variation in precipitation on observed counts of the most abundant mosquito species observed. RESULTS There was high variation among sites in mosquito community structure, and variation in site level richness that correlated with scrub forest, agricultural, and urban land covers. The four most abundant species were Aedes taeniorhynchus, Culex quinquefasciatus, Aedes aegpyti and Deinocerites magnus, and their relative abundance varied with season and land cover. Aedes aegypti was the most commonly occurring mosquito on the island, with a 90% probability of occurring at between 24 and 30 (median = 26) sites. Mangroves yielded the most mosquitoes, with Ae. taeniorhynchus, Cx. quinquefasciatus and De. magnus predominating. Psorophora pygmaea and Toxorhynchites guadeloupensis were only captured in scrub habitat. Capture rates in rainforests were low. Our count models also suggested the extent to which monthly average precipitation influenced counts varied according to species. CONCLUSIONS There is high seasonality in mosquito abundances, and land cover influences the diversity, distribution, and relative abundance of species on St. Kitts. Further, human-adapted mosquito species (e.g. Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus) that are known vectors for many human relevant pathogens (e.g. chikungunya, dengue and Zika viruses in the case of Ae. aegypti; West Nile, Spondweni, Oropouche virus, and equine encephalitic viruses in the case of Cx. quinqefasciatus) are the most wide-spread (across land covers) and the least responsive to seasonal variation in precipitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Valentine
- One Health Centre for Zoonoses and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Island Main Road, West Farm, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Brenda Ciraola
- One Health Centre for Zoonoses and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Island Main Road, West Farm, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Gregory R Jacobs
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.,River Basin Center, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga, 30602, USA
| | | | - Patrick J Kelly
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Island Main Road, West Farm, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Courtney C Murdock
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA. .,River Basin Center, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga, 30602, USA. .,Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA. .,Center for Ecology of Infectious Diseases, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA. .,Center for Tropical Emerging and Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA. .,Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA. .,Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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Valentine MJ, Ciraola B, Aliota MT, Vandenplas M, Marchi S, Tenebray B, Leparc-Goffart I, Gallagher CA, Beierschmitt A, Corey T, Dore KM, de Lamballerie X, Wang C, Murdock CC, Kelly PJ. No evidence for sylvatic cycles of chikungunya, dengue and Zika viruses in African green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) on St. Kitts, West Indies. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:540. [PMID: 33126907 PMCID: PMC7598228 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04419-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses (DENV, CHIKV and ZIKV) are transmitted in sylvatic transmission cycles between non-human primates and forest (sylvan) mosquitoes in Africa and Asia. It remains unclear if sylvatic cycles exist or could establish themselves elsewhere and contribute to the epidemiology of these diseases. The Caribbean island of St. Kitts has a large African green monkey (AGM) (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) population and is therefore ideally suited to investigate sylvatic cycles. METHODS We tested 858 AGM sera by ELISA and PRNT for virus-specific antibodies and collected and identified 9704 potential arbovirus vector mosquitoes. Mosquitoes were homogenized in 513 pools for testing by viral isolation in cell culture and by multiplex RT-qPCR after RNA extraction to detect the presence of DENV, CHIKV and ZIKVs. DNA was extracted from 122 visibly blood-fed individual mosquitoes and a polymorphic region of the hydroxymethylbilane synthase gene (HMBS) was amplified by PCR to determine if mosquitoes had fed on AGMs or humans. RESULTS All of the AGMs were negative for DENV, CHIKV or ZIKV antibodies. However, one AGM did have evidence of an undifferentiated Flavivirus infection. Similarly, DENV, CHIKV and ZIKV were not detected in any of the mosquito pools by PCR or culture. AGMs were not the source of any of the mosquito blood meals. CONCLUSION Sylvatic cycles involving AGMs and DENV, CHIKV and ZIKV do not currently exist on St. Kitts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew John Valentine
- One Health Centre for Zoonoses and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Farm, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis
| | - Brenda Ciraola
- One Health Centre for Zoonoses and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Farm, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis
| | | | - Michel Vandenplas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Farm, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis
| | - Silvia Marchi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Farm, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis
| | - Bernard Tenebray
- National Reference Laboratory for Arboviruses, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Marseille, France
- Unité des Virus Emergents (UVE), Aix Marseille Université, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Isabelle Leparc-Goffart
- National Reference Laboratory for Arboviruses, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Marseille, France
- Unité des Virus Emergents (UVE), Aix Marseille Université, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Christa Ann Gallagher
- Center for Conservation Medicine and Ecosystem Health, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Farm, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis
| | - Amy Beierschmitt
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Farm, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis
- Behavioral Science Foundation, Estridge Estate, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis
| | - Tatiana Corey
- St. Kitts Biomedical Research Foundation, Bourryeau Estate, Christ Church Nichola Town, St. Kitts and Nevis
- Virscio, Inc, New Haven, CT USA
| | | | - Xavier de Lamballerie
- Unité des Virus Emergents (UVE), Aix Marseille Université, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Chengming Wang
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL USA
| | - Courtney Cuin Murdock
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA
- Center for Tropical Emerging and Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
- Center for Ecology of Infectious Diseases, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
| | - Patrick John Kelly
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Farm, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis
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Conan A, Napier P, Shell L, Knobel DL, Dundas J, Scorpio D, Ketzis J. Heterogeneous distribution of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs in St. Kitts, West Indies, 2014-2015. VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY- REGIONAL STUDIES AND REPORTS 2017; 10:139-142. [PMID: 31014587 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In the Caribbean region, Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm) has been detected on almost all of the islands. While it is assumed to be endemic throughout the region, there is a lack of baseline data from the Leeward Islands (north-east of the Caribbean region). The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and the spatial distribution of heartworm disease in dogs on St. Kitts, a small 174km2 island which is part of the Leeward Islands. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014 with 100 dogs tested using a commercial antigen test. Dogs were from all regions of the island except the southeastern region, which differs socio-economically from the rest of the island. Heartworm was not detected in these 100 dogs. To complete the survey, in 2015, fifteen dogs from the southeast region were tested, eight of which were positive for heartworm. Prevalence was estimated at 7.0% (95% confidence interval: 4.6-11.6). Data from two other sources were added to complete the report: data from dogs enrolled in a free spay and neuter program and tested against heartworm (164 dogs with 3 positive for heartworm), and the data from positive dogs diagnosed at the Ross University Veterinary Clinic in 2014 and 2015 (3 dogs). Most of the heartworm positive dogs (10/14) lived in a delimited area in the southeast of the island. These results indicate an overall low prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in St. Kitts, lower than that observed in the other Caribbean islands. Heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of the parasite was observed, with the majority of cases residing in the southeast of the island. Previous spatial models focused on the spread of the parasite over large geographical areas and long distances, but not within a restricted area. Our results indicate the presence of local factors which may have limited spread of the disease over short distances. Further studies are needed to understand this markedly heterogeneous distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Conan
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Westfarm, PO Box 334, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
| | - Paula Napier
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Westfarm, PO Box 334, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Linda Shell
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Westfarm, PO Box 334, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Darryn L Knobel
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Westfarm, PO Box 334, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - James Dundas
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Westfarm, PO Box 334, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis; University of Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Veterinary College, Department of Companion Animals, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada
| | - Diana Scorpio
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Westfarm, PO Box 334, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis; Vaccine Research Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jennifer Ketzis
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Westfarm, PO Box 334, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
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Detection of West Nile Virus and other common equine viruses in three locations from the Leeward Islands, West Indies. Acta Trop 2017. [PMID: 28648789 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Equines in the West Indies are used for recreational purposes, tourism industry, racing and agriculture or can be found in feral populations. Little is known in the Caribbean basin about the prevalence of some major equine infectious diseases, some with zoonotic potential, listed as reportable by the OIE. Our objective was to study the prevalence of antibodies for West Nile Virus (WNV), Equine Herpes Virus-1 and 4 (EHV-1 and EHV-4), Equine Influenza (EI), Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) and Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV) using a retrospective serological convenience study. We used 180 equine serum samples, 140 from horses and 40 from donkeys in St. Kitts, Nevis, and Sint Eustatius, collected between 2006 and 2015 that were tested with ELISA kits and virus neutralization (for WNV and EVA). Combining ELISA with virus neutralization testing, 25 (13.8%) equine sera were WNV positive (a mixture of indigenous and imported equines) and 3 sera (1.6%) showed doubtful results. For EHV-1, 41 equines (23.7%), mean age 6.7 years, were seropositive. For EHV-4, 138 equines were found seropositive (82.8%), mean age 6.3 years. For EI, 49 equines (27.2%), mean age 7.5 years, were seropositive on ELISA, some previously vaccinated horses. No antibodies against EAV were found on virus neutralization testing, although one animal (0.6%), was EAV positive on ELISA. All samples were EIAV negative. The seroprevalence for EHV-1 and EHV-4 is similar to other parts of the world. For the first time in the study location serologic evidence of antibodies against WNV and EI is reported. This was found in both indigenous and imported animals, highlighting the need for developing proper surveillance plans based on complementary methods of virus detection. Further studies will be needed to define the prevalence, rates of transmission, characterize local virus strains, and study their impact on these populations.
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