DNA barcodes: helping to elucidate the role of mosquito species in flavivirus transmission in the southern area of Mar Chiquita Lake, central Argentina.

BERRÓN, CLARA I.; RE, VIVIANA; LIJTMAER, DARÍO; DIEZ, NATALIA; STEIN, MARINA; VISINTIN, ANDRÉS M.; TUBARO, PABLO; ALMIRON, WALTER; CONTIGIANI, MARTA

Kunming, Yunnan, China

Conferencia; 5th International Barcode of Life Conference; 2013

International Barcode of Life

Saint Louis encephalitis virus and West Nile virus (Flaviviridae; Flavivirus) cause neurological diseases in humans. Transmission cycles of both viruses involve birds and ornithophilic mosquitoes of the genus Culex. In the southern area of Mar Chiquita Lake there is serological and molecular evidence of circulation of both viruses. We studied the mosquito feeding patterns in order to contribute to elucidate the vector species. The project was based on three components: 1) the generation of the barcode library for the mosquito species of the study site, 2) the identification of the engorged female mosquitoes using these barcodes and 3) the identification of the mosquito blood meal sources using the vertebrates barcodes available on BOLD (using primarily the ?Birds of Argentina? project). Mosquitoes were procesed at the INVIV, MACN and BIO/CCDB. Engorged females were succesfully identified. Ochlerotatus, Psorophora and Mansonia genera fed exclusively on mammals (7 host species), while mosquitoes belonging to Culex genus fed mainly on birds (22 host species). This analysis provides important clues about the mosquito and bird species that might be implicated in the transmission cycles of these viruses at the study site. DNA barcodes thus proved to be very useful for flavivirus research in Argentina.