The use of blood-fed mosquitoes as diagnostic tools for the detection and monitoring of infectious disease in wildlife

When a mosquito bites its host, it carries away a blood sample containing specific antibodies which can provide a history of the immune responses of the vertebrate host. The purpose of this research was to determine whether antibodies which are specific for agents of infectious disease could be detected in blood-fed mosquitoes. Mosquitoes were fed on blood containing a specific antibody and assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine the limits of detection of the antibody post-feeding over time, and at different temperatures and antibody concentrations. The results showed that the antibody, at an initial concentration of 1mug/ml could be detected in mosquitoes for 24--72 hours after feeding. Blind tests simulating the assay of feral mosquitoes detected positive mosquitoes with few false negatives and no false positives. This research indicates that the collection and immunological assay of mosquitoes could be used to detect and monitor infectious disease in wildlife.