6533b822fe1ef96bd127d742
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Tracking zoonotic pathogens using blood-sucking flies as 'flying syringes'
Larson BoundengaBenjamin OllomoPatrick DurandFrancisco J. AyalaPaul-yannick Bitome-essonoFrançois RenaudBoris MakangaAlain-prince OkougaLauriane Yacka-moueleBertrand Mve-ondoVirginie RougeronFranck PrugnolleFrançois BretagnolleCéline ArnathauChristophe PaupyFlobert NjiokouRémi WattierNancy Diamella MokoudoumJudicaël Obame-nkoghePhilippe Mbehang-nguemaDiego Ayalasubject
0301 basic medicineglobal healthForests[SDV.MHEP.MI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Infectious diseases[ SDV.EE.IEO ] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment/SymbiosisParasite hostingBiology (General)Pathogen2. Zero hungerEcologyGeneral NeuroscienceQRVertebrateGeneral Medicine3. Good healthTools and Resources[ SDV.MHEP.MI ] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Infectious diseasesBloodMedicineepidemiologyPlasmodium parasitesecologyQH301-705.5Science030106 microbiologyWildlifeEarly detectionZoologyBiologytsetse fliesGeneral Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology03 medical and health sciencesBlood suckingbiology.animalmedicineAnimalsParasitesGabonhematophagous flies[ SDE.BE ] Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and EcologyGeneral Immunology and MicrobiologyDipterafungimedicine.diseaseInsect Vectors[SDV.BA.ZI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Invertebrate Zoology030104 developmental biologyEpidemiology and Global HealthVector (epidemiology)[SDV.SPEE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Santé publique et épidémiologieOtherMalaria[SDV.EE.IEO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment/Symbiosisdescription
About 60% of emerging infectious diseases in humans are of zoonotic origin. Their increasing number requires the development of new methods for early detection and monitoring of infectious agents in wildlife. Here, we investigated whether blood meals from hematophagous flies could be used to identify the infectious agents circulating in wild vertebrates. To this aim, 1230 blood-engorged flies were caught in the forests of Gabon. Identified blood meals (30%) were from 20 vertebrate species including mammals, birds and reptiles. Among them, 9% were infected by different extant malaria parasites among which some belonged to known parasite species, others to new parasite species or to parasite lineages for which only the vector was known. This study demonstrates that using hematophagous flies as ‘flying syringes’ constitutes an interesting approach to investigate blood-borne pathogen diversity in wild vertebrates and could be used as an early detection tool of zoonotic pathogens. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22069.001
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-03-28 | eLife |