TY - JOUR

T1 - Potential mosquito vector attraction to- and feeding preferences for pigs in Romanian backyard farms

AU - Stelder, Jonno Jorn

AU - Mihalca, Andrei Daniel

AU - Olesen, Ann Sofie

AU - Kjær, Lene Jung

AU - Boklund, Anette Ella

AU - Rasmussen, Thomas Bruun

AU - Marinov, Mihai

AU - Alexe, Vasile

AU - Balmoş, Oana Maria

AU - Bødker, René

N1 - Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2023 Stelder, Mihalca, Olesen, Kjær, Boklund, Rasmussen, Marinov, Alexe, Balmoş and Bødker.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Introduction: Mosquitoes either biologically or mechanically transmit various vector-borne pathogens affecting pigs. Mosquito species display a wide variety of host preference, as well as host attraction and behaviours. Mosquito species attraction rates to- and feeding rates on pigs or other potential hosts, as well as the seasonal abundance of the mosquito species affects their pathogen transmission potential. Methods: We caught mosquitoes in experimental cages containing pigs situated in Romanian backyard farms. The host species of blood meals were identified with PCR and sequencing. Results: High feeding preferences for pigs were observed in Aedes vexans (90%), Anopheles maculipennis (80%) and Culiseta annulata (72.7%). However, due to a high abundance in the traps, Culex pipiens/torrentium were responsible for 37.9% of all mosquito bites on pigs in the Romanian backyards, despite low feeding rates on pigs in the cages (18.6%). We also found that other predominantly ornithophilic mosquito species, as well as mosquitoes that are already carrying a blood meal from a different (mammalian) host, were attracted to backyard pigs or their enclosure. Discussion: These results indicate that viraemic blood carrying, for instance, African swine fever virus, West-Nile virus or Japanese encephalitis virus could be introduced to these backyard pig farms and therefore cause an infection, either through subsequent feeding, via ingestion by the pig or by environmental contamination.

AB - Introduction: Mosquitoes either biologically or mechanically transmit various vector-borne pathogens affecting pigs. Mosquito species display a wide variety of host preference, as well as host attraction and behaviours. Mosquito species attraction rates to- and feeding rates on pigs or other potential hosts, as well as the seasonal abundance of the mosquito species affects their pathogen transmission potential. Methods: We caught mosquitoes in experimental cages containing pigs situated in Romanian backyard farms. The host species of blood meals were identified with PCR and sequencing. Results: High feeding preferences for pigs were observed in Aedes vexans (90%), Anopheles maculipennis (80%) and Culiseta annulata (72.7%). However, due to a high abundance in the traps, Culex pipiens/torrentium were responsible for 37.9% of all mosquito bites on pigs in the Romanian backyards, despite low feeding rates on pigs in the cages (18.6%). We also found that other predominantly ornithophilic mosquito species, as well as mosquitoes that are already carrying a blood meal from a different (mammalian) host, were attracted to backyard pigs or their enclosure. Discussion: These results indicate that viraemic blood carrying, for instance, African swine fever virus, West-Nile virus or Japanese encephalitis virus could be introduced to these backyard pig farms and therefore cause an infection, either through subsequent feeding, via ingestion by the pig or by environmental contamination.

KW - african swine fever virus

KW - blood meal

KW - insect vectors

KW - japanese encephalitis virus

KW - mechanical transmission

KW - west-nile virus

U2 - 10.3389/fvets.2022.1046263

DO - 10.3389/fvets.2022.1046263

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36686172

AN - SCOPUS:85146458473

VL - 9

JO - Frontiers in Veterinary Science

JF - Frontiers in Veterinary Science

SN - 2297-1769

M1 - 1046263

ER -