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Video ViewAttendees 3

10-Minute Paper

Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology

On-Demand

On-Demand 10-Minute Papers

The role of Culex territans mosquitoes in the transmission of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis to amphibian hosts

On-Demand
On-Demand
Amphibian populations are in decline worldwide. The chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is a major contributor to this decline, causing mass die offs and extinctions in amphibians. The fungus infects the skin of amphibians, causing deadly chytridiomycosis. This pathogen is thought to be spread primarily through direct contact between frogs, though vector transmission has not been studied. Culex territans is a mosquito that is known to feed on amphibians and reptiles. We hypothesize that, since Cx. territans is in direct contact with the skin of frogs during feeding, this mosquito can vector Bd. Transmitting this pathogen indicates that this mosquito could contribute to decline in amphibian health. We tested this hypothesis by screening blood fed mosquitoes caught in the field and as well as swabbing the frogs for Bd at Mountain Lake Biological Station (Pembroke, VA, USA). We also conducted Bd contact assays, which determined whether the mosquito can acquire Bd from an infected surface with their legs or proboscis and transmit it to a new surface. The presence of Bd was confirmed using qPCR. We found Bd is present at MLBS, and we saw that Cx. territans is able to transmit Bd in a laboratory setting. This data brings essential insights on amphibian disease ecology and the role Cx. territans mosquitoes plays in vectoring pathogens and, consequently, in amphibian decline.

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