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Belgian Culex pipiens pipiens are competent vectors for West Nile virus while Culex modestus are competent vectors for Usutu virus KU Leuven
BACKGROUND: West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are emerging arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) in Europe transmitted by Culex mosquitoes. In Belgium, it is currently unknown which Culex species are competent vectors for WNV or USUV and if these mosquitoes carry Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium that can block arbovirus transmission. The aims of our study were to measure the vector competence of Belgian Culex mosquitoes to WNV ...
DNA identification and diversity of the vector mosquitoes Culex pipiens s.s. and Culex torrentium in Belgium (Diptera: Culicidae) Universiteit Antwerpen Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde
This survey reports on the DNA identification and occurrence of Culex torrentium and Cx. pipiens s.s. in Belgium. These native disease-vector mosquito species are morphologically difficult to separate, and the biotypes of Cx. pipiens s.s. are morphologically indistinguishable. Culex torrentium and Cx. pipiens s.s. were identified using the COI and ACE2 loci. We recorded 1248 Cx. pipiens s.s. and 401 Cx. torrentium specimens from 24 locations in ...
Phenotypic insecticide resistance status of the Culex pipiens complex: a European perspective Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde
Background: The common house mosquito Culex pipiens is known to be a major vector for West Nile virus. In order to decrease risks of West Nile virus outbreaks in Europe, insecticides and the bio-larvicide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) are commonly used for vector control. Alarmingly, insecticide resistance has been reported in Cx. pipiens populations from Southern Europe and several countries neighbouring Europe. For Central and ...
Bidirectional Interactions between Arboviruses and the Bacterial and Viral Microbiota in Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus KU Leuven Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie
Mosquitoes are important vectors for many arboviruses. It is becoming increasingly clear that various symbiotic microorganisms (including bacteria and insect-specific viruses; ISVs) in mosquitoes have the potential to modulate the ability of mosquitoes to transmit arboviruses. In this study, we compared the bacteriome and virome (both eukaryotic viruses and bacteriophages) of female adult Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes fed ...
Culex modestus: the overlooked mosquito vector KU Leuven
Culex (Barraudius) modestus (Ficalbi 1889) are found in temperate regions across Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. These mosquitoes thrive during the summer and prefer to breed in permanent vegetative habitats such as rice paddies and marshes. Culex modestus feed on a wide range of bird species but are highly attracted to humans, which makes them a potential 'bridge' vector for enzootic pathogens. There is compelling evidence that Culex ...
First Report of Mutations Associated With Pyrethroid (L1014F) and Organophosphate (G119S) Resistance in Belgian Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes KU Leuven
The emergence of West Nile virus and Usutu virus in Europe poses a significant risk to public health. In the absence of efficient antiviral therapy or vaccine candidates, the only strategy to control these arboviruses is to target the Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquito vector. However, the selection pressure caused by exposure to insecticides for vector control or agricultural pest control can lead to insecticide resistance, thereby reducing ...
Multistressor ecotoxicological study on Culex mosquitoes: from toxicity mechanisms to biotic interactions KU Leuven
Natural populations are increasingly facing multiple stressors. Their ability to deal with interacting stressor combinations will be crucial for their local persistence. Populations of target species are typically exposed to pesticide mixtures and natural stressors, and are increasingly developing resistance to single pesticides. Nevertheless, we have poor knowledge whether natural stressors and the presence of pesticide resistance shape mixture ...
Establishment of Culex modestus in Belgium and a Glance into the Virome of Belgian Mosquito Species KU Leuven
Culex modestus mosquitoes are considered potential transmission vectors of West Nile virus and Usutu virus. Their presence has been reported across several European countries, including one larva detected in Belgium in 2018. In this study, mosquitoes were collected in the city of Leuven and surrounding areas in the summers of 2019 and 2020. Species identification was performed based on morphological features and partial sequences of the ...
First record of the West Nile virus bridge vector Culex modestus Ficalbi (Diptera: Culicidae) in Belgium, validated by DNA barcoding Universiteit Antwerpen Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde
A thorough knowledge of the presence and spatio-temporal distribution patterns of vector species are pivotal to assess the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in Europe. In 2018, a Culex larva was collected during routine monitoring activities to intercept exotic Aedes mosquito species in the port of Antwerp (Kallo, Belgium). The larva, collected from a pond in mid-September, was morphologically identified as Culex modestus, and this identification ...