Detection of multiple parasites in bloodfed Culex pipiens mosquitoes

Multiple mosquito-borne parasites co-circulate in nature and potentially interact in mosquito and vertebrate hosts. To understand the community of co-circulating parasites in the West Nile virus (WNV) system, we determined the parasites that Culex mosquitoes ingest while taking a blood meal from avian hosts.  We collected bloodfed Culex pipiens in suburban Chicago, Illinois from 2005-2011 and used PCR-sequencing blood meal analysis to identify vertebrate hosts.  We then detected multiple hemoparasites in the blood-engorged abdomens for 101 Cx. pipiens that had fed on American robin and house sparrow using PCR and DNA sequencing to confirm presence of avian filarial nematodes and haemosporidia. Results showed that 3.96% of mosquitoes analyzed were positive for filarial nematodes, and 24.75% were positive for avian malaria. These data show that Culex mosquitoes ingest multiple hemoparasites while feeding on avian hosts, which may have implications for the WNV system.