Characterization of the Blood-Feeding Patterns of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) in San Bernardino County, California

Abstract

Abstract West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic disease that is endemic in North America and is known to cause a range of symptoms from mild to life threatening in humans. Culex quinquefasciatus is one of the most prominent vectors of WNV in Southern California. The goal of this study was to identify which animal species are most fed upon by these mosquitoes in various habitats in the West Valley area of San Bernardino County, California, and determine the relationship between blood-feeding patterns and WNV activity in the region. Culex quinquefasciatus specimens were collected by West Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District during 2011 from 32 different sites. The bloodmeals of 683 individuals (92.4% of those tested) were identified using the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI). These bloodmeals comprised 29 vertebrate species across four different habitats. Species richness (ranging from 10 to 17) was not significantly different between habitats when rarified to account for sample size. Across habitats, the highest percentage of avian bloodmeals were taken from house sparrows (18.8–39.1%) and house finches (2.6–31.5%). Bloodmeals were identified from five mammalian species, accounting for 5.1–59.2% of bloodmeals by habitat, including humans (0–4.1%). A seasonal shift towards increased mammalian bloodmeal prevalence, specifically for domestic dog and human bloodmeals, was observed in urban habitats. The WNV activity during 2011 in San Bernardino County occurred mostly in urban and suburban areas as indicated by minimum infection rate (MIR) in Culex quinquefasciatus, notable as all human bloodmeals were identified from these two habitats.