Mosquito Fauna in the Mangroves of Yucatan, Mexico, and Identification of Alphavirus RNA.

Julian E Garcia-Rejon, Julio C Tzuc-Dzul, Karen Y Lopez-Carrillo, Nohemi Cigarroa-Toledo, Rosa C Cetina-Trejo, Wilbert A Chi-Chim, Lourdes G Talavera-Aguilar, Laura I Lopez-Apodaca, Carlos M Baak-Baak

The surveillance of arboviruses in mangrove mosquitoes is a neglected topic in Mexico. The Yucatan State is part of a peninsula and, therefore, is rich in mangroves along its coast. The purpose of the study was to identify alphavirus in the mosquito fauna of mangroves. Mosquitoes were captured in mangrove settings in seven communities in Yucatan between June 2019 and August 2021. From 1900 to 2200 h and from 0500 to 0800 h, mosquitoes were captured with a backpack-mounted aspirator. In total, 3,167 female mosquitoes of five genera and nine species were captured. Aedes taeniorhynchus and Anopheles crucians were the most abundant mosquitoes collected. Mosquitoes were sorted into 210 pools and tested by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for alphavirus ribonucleic acid (RNA). Alphavirus RNA was found in Ae. taeniorhynchus, An. pseudopunctipennis, and An. crucians collected in the Celestun Mangrove. The community is part of the Ria Celestun Biosphere Reserve, and the presence arbovirus-infected mosquitoes could pose a health risk to residents and visitors alike in the area.