Comparison of mosquito communities according to host prevalence in central Missouri

Vector-borne diseases are at the forefront of global awareness due to their impact on human health, as well as equine and ruminant industries. Diseases such as West Nile Virus and St. Louis Encephalitis are present in the United States. Rift Valley Fever, although not a concern in the United States presently, is a high priority in areas of the world where the sheep and goat industries are critical to the economy. Mosquitoes are the most prevalent vectors of these diseases. Mosquitoes very often exhibit host preferences which enable the spread of various diseases and infections. Close examination of mosquito populations near livestock holding areas may provide information concerning the influence of host presence on the mosquito communities found there. To examine host presence on mosquito community composition, adult mosquitoes were collected from agricultural settings with three different mammal hosts. One setting held horses (equine) as the primary mosquito host, one held cows (bovine) as the primary host and one maintained goats (capine). This survey was conducted between May and September in 2009. Collected females were keyed to species, and statistical tests of fixed effects indicated there was in fact no significant influence of host presence on mosquito community composition. A trend toward significance was noted between bovine and capine locations. Although not significantly different in community composition, information gathered concerning the presence of individual vector species in relation to specific hosts may prove to be a useful tool for disease outbreak prevention.