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Blood Sources of Mosquitoes Collected from Urban and Peri-Urban Environments in Eastern Australia with Species-Specific Molecular Analysis of Avian Blood Meals

To identify the hosts of mosquitoes collected from urban and peri-urban habitats in eastern Australia, 1,180 blood fed mosquitoes representing 15 species were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and molecular techniques. Four common and epidemiologically important species could be classified according to their host-feeding patterns: Aedes aegypti was anthropophilic, Ae. vigilax was mammalophilic, Culex quinquefasciatus was ornithophilic, and Cx. annulirostris was opportunistic, readily feeding on birds and mammals. Mitochondrial cytochrome b DNA sequence data showed that more than 75% of avian blood meals identified from Cx. annulirostris collected from Brisbane, Newcastle, and Sydney originated from ducks (Order Anseriformes, Family Anatidae). More than 75% of avian blood meals from Cx. quinquefasciatus from Cairns belonged to one of three Passerine species, namely Sphecotheres vieilloti (figbird), Sturnus tristis (common myna), and Philemon buceroides (helmeted friarbird). This study demonstrates associations between vectors in Australia and vertebrate hosts of endemic and exotic arboviruses.

Received January 8, 2009. Accepted for publication July 28, 2009.

Acknowledgments: We thank the members of Queensland Health’s Dengue Action Response Team, especially Sharron Long, for field assistance in Cairns; Petrina Johnson for coordinating collection of Ae. aegypti samples; Ian Northcott and Anabelle Olson for supplying reference bird tissue from Cairns; Allan McKinnon (National Parks and Wildlife Service), Michael Pyne (Currumbin Sanctuary), and Heather Janetzski (Queensland Museum) for bird tissue from Brisbane; the Sydney Olympic Park Authority for both reference bird tissue from Sydney and assistance with adult mosquito collections; and Alyssa Pyke and Sonja Hall-Mendelin for technical advice.

Financial support: This study was supported by the Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre for Emerging Infectious Disease.

^* Address correspondence to Cassie C. Jansen, Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre for Emerging Infectious Disease and School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4067, Australia, c/o Virology, Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia. E-mail: cassie.jansen{at}csiro.au

Authors’ addresses: Cassie C. Jansen, Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre for Emerging Infectious Disease and School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4067, Australia, c/o Virology, Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia, E-mail: cassie.jansen{at}csiro.au. Cameron E. Webb and Richard C. Russell, Department of Medical Entomology, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, 2145, Australia, E-mails: Cameron.Webb{at}swahs.health.nsw.gov.au and rrussell{at}usyd.edu.au. Glenn C. Graham, Organic Chemistry, Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Health, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Queensland, 4108, Australia, E-mail: Glenn_Graham{at}health.qld.gov.au. Scott B. Craig, World Health Organization/World Health Organisation for Animal Health/Food and Agricultural Organization Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Communicable Diseases Unit, Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Health, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia, E-mail: Scott_Craig{at}health.qld.gov.au. Paul Zborowski, School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia, E-mail: p.zborowski{at}uq.edu.au. Scott A. Ritchie, School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, Smithfield, Queensland, 4878, and Australia and Tropical Population Health Network, Queensland Health, Cairns, Queensland, 4870, Australia, E-mail: Scott_Ritchie{at}health.qld.gov.au. Andrew F. van den Hurk, Virology, Communicable Diseases Unit, Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Queensland, 4108, Australia, E-mail: andrew_hurk{at}health.qld.gov.au.