Tracing Pathogen Transmission by Mosquitoes under a Global Change Perspective: On the Role of the Identification of Mosquito Bloodmeals

Abstract

Mosquitoes play a central role in the transmission of vector‐borne pathogens causing important diseases in humans, livestock and wildlife. The identification of mosquito blood feeding preferences represents an essential step in epidemiological studies to identify the potential reservoirs and the contact rates between infective and susceptible hosts. Different methods have been used to trace mosquito bloodmeal origins in ecology and public health studies providing valuable results. These studies are specially relevant under a global change scenario, where habitat alteration and changes in the distribution of the ecological community of mosquitoes could affect the dynamics of transmission of mosquito‐borne pathogens. Key Concepts Mosquitoes play a central role in the transmission of many vector‐borne pathogens. Environmental conditions determine the mosquito community structure in the area, potentially affecting the dynamics of transmission of vector‐borne pathogens. Female mosquitoes feed on blood to obtain resources for egg development. The bloodmeals of mosquitoes provide a valuable source of genetic material allowing the identification of vertebrate species origin even to the level of individuals host and the pathogens interacting with them. Integrating information on the feeding patterns of mosquitoes into epidemiological models contributes to identifying the risk of transmission of vector‐borne pathogens to human and other animals.