Multi-scale characterization of vector and host community diversity across landscape types

Over the past decades, human activity and extensive population growth has significantly changed landscapes and biodiversity with serious impacts on mosquito-borne disease epidemiology and public health worldwide. There are multiple proposed mechanisms linking increases in human activity and altered mosquito-borne disease transmission dynamics. Anthropogenic landscape changes may influence relative abundance of mosquito vectors and hosts, and host-vector contact patterns, directly influencing mosquito-borne disease transmission. The changing patterns of host-vector contact may also indirectly affect disease transmission by altering mosquito midgut microbiome. Our research focuses on comparatively characterizing the mosquito communities, and host-vector contact patterns in conservation and residential areas of Vero Beach, Florida. Field collections will be performed weekly to characterize mosquito communities in four study sites representing two different landscapes from January to August 2023. Blood meal analysis will be performed to determine host usage of field collected mosquito samples across study sites. In addition, our study will determine the impact of blood meal sources on gut bacterial communities of Culex nigripalpus, an important West Nile virus vector in this area. The result will add to our understanding of how host-vector contact may indirectly influence disease transmission via changing mosquito midgut microbiome. Overall, our research will inform how human actions impact vector-borne disease transmission in Florida by changing vector communities, host-vector contact patterns, and mosquito microbiome composition. This information may lead to different policy on land-use planning, improved mosquito-borne disease prevention and control programs, and enhanced public health outcomes.