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Species Diversity, Habitat Distribution, and Blood Meal Analysis of Haematophagous Dipterans Collected by CDC-UV Light Traps in the Dominican Republic.

ABSTRACT: Haematophagous insects cause major economic losses by both direct damage and the transmission of pathogens. However, the biting Diptera species in the Caribbean region have been poorly documented. During 2021, CDC downdraft suction traps with UV light were employed to assess both the species occurrence and blood meal sources across three different habitats in the Dominican Republic. Eighteen species of mosquitoes (n = 274), six species of Culicoides (n = 803), two black fly species (n = 2), and one species of muscid fly (n = 25) were identified at species-level by morphology and/or molecular phylogenetic approaches based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI). Engorged mosquito (n = 5) and Culicoides (n = 28) females showed host preferences derived exclusively from mammals (cows and pigs), except Culex species containing the blood of chickens. Our study provides new records of the Diptera Dominican catalogue (Culex salinarius for the Greater Antilles, Culicoides jamaicensis for Hispaniola, and Culicoides haitiensis and Culicoides borinqueni for the Dominican Republic), the first available COI DNA sequences of different Diptera in the GenBank, some pictures of diagnostic features of closely related specimens, spatial distribution across the habitats studied, and new insights on their feeding preferences in the Caribbean region.

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez MA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9319014 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BACKGROUND:The island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic (DR), is the only remaining malaria-endemic island in the Caribbean and accounts for 95% of the lymphatic filariasis (LF) burden in the Americas. Both countries aim to eliminate the diseases by 2020. Migration from Haiti, where both diseases are more prevalent, may promote transmission in the DR. Historically, Haitian migrant labourers live in rural Dominican agricultural 'company towns' called bateyes, many of which received mass drug administration (MDA) for LF elimination. This study sought to determine the prevalence of malaria and LF in bateyes of the DR and to describe related risk factors for disease. METHODS:From March to April 2016, a cross-sectional, cluster survey was conducted across Dominican bateyes stratified into three regions: southwest, north and east. A household questionnaire (n = 776), captured demographics, ethnic origin, mobility patterns, malaria intervention coverage, and knowledge, and recent fever and treatment-seeking. Two individuals per household (n = 1418) were tested for malaria parasites by microscopy and rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and LF antigen by filariasis test strip (FTS). Population-level estimates and confidence intervals (CI) were computed adjusting for the survey design. Two-sided t-tests compared differences in knowledge scores. RESULTS:No (0%) blood sample was Plasmodium-positive by microscopy or RDT. Six individuals were FTS-positive (0.5%; 95% CI: 0.2-1.5), but none (0%) of these were microfilariae-positive. Most batey residents were born in the DR (57.8%), documented (85.0%), and permanent residents (85.1%). Very few respondents (9.4%) reported travel to Haiti in the past year. Overall, half (53.8%) of respondents owned a bed net, and 82.3% of net owners reported using it the previous night. Indoor residual spraying (IRS) differed by region (range: 4.7%-61.2%). Most of those with recent fever sought care (56.0%), yet only 30.5% of those seeking care were tested for malaria. Compared to Dominican-born populations, Haitian-born respondents more frequently reported recent fever, did not seek care for the fever, had not heard of malaria, and could not name symptoms or prevention methods. CONCLUSIONS:Malaria and LF transmission appear absent or extremely low in Dominican bateyes, which are a mixture of Haitian and Dominican residents. Travel to Haiti is rare, meaning risk of malaria and LF importation is low. Addressing identified gaps in intervention coverage, malaria knowledge, treatment seeking and service delivery will improve the quality of surveillance for these diseases, particularly among marginalized populations and promote island-wide elimination.

Dataset Information

Species Diversity, Habitat Distribution, and Blood Meal Analysis of Haematophagous Dipterans Collected by CDC-UV Light Traps in the Dominican Republic.

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