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ViewAttendees 4

10-Minute Paper

Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology

MUVE: Vector Physiology, Biology, and Ecology 1

Mosquitoes are filthy

Tuesday, November 7, 2023
10:36 AM – 10:48 AM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor 2
In-Person
Mosquitoes of some species are known to cause diseases like Malaria, Zika fever, Dengue, Chikungunya, and Yellow fever. However, what is not known is whether bacteria located outside of mosquitoes may pose a potential health risk through mechanical transfer. This study analyzed the bacterial communities present on the external surface and internal body of female mosquitoes Anopheles coluzzii adults obtained from homes in Côte d'Ivoire, Africa, by Illumina sequencing of the V3 to V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Anopheles coluzzii plays an important role in malaria transmission. We found mosquitoes harbored a greater diversity of bacterial taxa internally compared to their external surfaces. The internal bacterial communities were similar across homes, while the external body samples differed significantly between homes. Bacteria found on the external surfaces of mosquitoes were associated with plants, human and animal skin, and human and animal infections. On the other hand, Rickettsia bellii and Rickettsia typhi were found internally, which may be of importance as this genus is associated with human diseases. These findings suggest that further research is needed to evaluate the potential mechanical transmission of bacteria by mosquitoes moving into homes, as well as the role of internal mosquito microbiota in human health.