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21 September 2022 Water Physicochemical Parameters and Microbial Composition Distinguish Anopheles and Culex Mosquito Breeding Sites: Potential as Ecological Markers for Larval Source Surveillance
Harriet Kinga, Jonas A. Kengne-Ouafo, Sandra A. King, Richardson K. Egyirifa, Fred Aboagye-Antwi, Jewelna Akorli
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Abstract

The presence of mosquitoes in an area is dependent on the availability of suitable breeding sites that are influenced by several environmental factors. Identification of breeding habitats for vector surveillance and larval source management is key to disease control programs. We investigated water quality parameters and microbial composition in selected mosquito breeding sites in urban Accra, Ghana and associated these with abundance of Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) and Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae. Physicochemical parameters and microbial composition explained up to 72% variance among the breeding sites and separated Anopheles and Culex habitats (P < 0.05). Anopheles and Culex abundances were commonly influenced by water temperature, pH, nitrate, and total hardness with contrasting impacts on the two mosquito species. In addition, total dissolved solids, biochemical oxygen demand, and alkalinity uniquely influenced Anopheles abundance, while total suspended solids, phosphate, sulphate, ammonium, and salinity were significant determinants for Culex. The correlation of these multiple parameters with the occurrence of each mosquito species was high (R2 = 0.99, P < 0.0001). Bacterial content assessment of the breeding ponds revealed that the most abundant bacterial phyla were Patescibacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Proteobacteria, constituting >70% of the total bacterial richness. The oligotrophic Patescibacteria was strongly associated with Anopheles suggestive of the mosquito's adaptation to environments with less nutrients, while predominance of Cyanobacteria, indicative of rich nutritional source was associated with Culex larval ponds. We propose further evaluation of these significant abiotic and biotic parameters in field identification of larval sources and how knowledge of these can be harnessed effectively to reduce conducive breeding sites for mosquitoes.

© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Harriet Kinga, Jonas A. Kengne-Ouafo, Sandra A. King, Richardson K. Egyirifa, Fred Aboagye-Antwi, and Jewelna Akorli "Water Physicochemical Parameters and Microbial Composition Distinguish Anopheles and Culex Mosquito Breeding Sites: Potential as Ecological Markers for Larval Source Surveillance," Journal of Medical Entomology 59(5), 1817-1826, (21 September 2022). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjac115
Received: 26 May 2022; Accepted: 10 July 2022; Published: 21 September 2022
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KEYWORDS
Bacterial composition
Larval density
larval source surveillance
mosquito
water physicochemical property
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