Exploring Mosquito Excreta as an Alternative Sample Type for Improving Arbovirus Surveillance in Australia
Current arbovirus surveillance strategies in Australia involve mosquito collection, species identification, and virus detection. These processes are labour-intensive, expensive, and time-consuming and can lead to delays in reporting. Mosquito excreta has been proposed as an alternative sample type t...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/1/42 |
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| author | Tess R. Malcolm Melissa J. Klein Karolina Petkovic Ina Smith Kim R. Blasdell |
| author_facet | Tess R. Malcolm Melissa J. Klein Karolina Petkovic Ina Smith Kim R. Blasdell |
| author_sort | Tess R. Malcolm |
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| description | Current arbovirus surveillance strategies in Australia involve mosquito collection, species identification, and virus detection. These processes are labour-intensive, expensive, and time-consuming and can lead to delays in reporting. Mosquito excreta has been proposed as an alternative sample type to whole mosquito collection, with potential to streamline the virus surveillance pipeline. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> excreta as a sample type in the detection of Dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV2). DENV2 could be detected from as little as one DENV2-infected mosquito excreta spot, with virus levels in individual excreta spots varying within and between mosquitoes and depending highly on mosquito viral load. Detectability was improved by pooling up to 20 DENV2-infected mosquitoes and collecting excreta into liquid substrate, followed by virus concentration using magnetic nanoparticles. Virus concentration improves quantification accuracy in comparison to unconcentrated samples and increases the amount of material available for detection, expanding detection capabilities to techniques with higher limits of detection. Mosquito excreta as a sample type, coupled with magnetic virus concentration, expands the current detection toolbox for DENV2 and has the potential to improve arbovirus surveillance strategies in Australia. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fdff5b752fee4cfcad482ea5ff56110c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj-art-fdff5b752fee4cfcad482ea5ff56110c2025-01-24T13:44:42ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172025-01-011414210.3390/pathogens14010042Exploring Mosquito Excreta as an Alternative Sample Type for Improving Arbovirus Surveillance in AustraliaTess R. Malcolm0Melissa J. Klein1Karolina Petkovic2Ina Smith3Kim R. Blasdell4Health and Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Geelong, VIC 3220, AustraliaHealth and Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Geelong, VIC 3220, AustraliaManufacturing, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Clayton, VIC 3168, AustraliaHealth and Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT 2601, AustraliaHealth and Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Geelong, VIC 3220, AustraliaCurrent arbovirus surveillance strategies in Australia involve mosquito collection, species identification, and virus detection. These processes are labour-intensive, expensive, and time-consuming and can lead to delays in reporting. Mosquito excreta has been proposed as an alternative sample type to whole mosquito collection, with potential to streamline the virus surveillance pipeline. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> excreta as a sample type in the detection of Dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV2). DENV2 could be detected from as little as one DENV2-infected mosquito excreta spot, with virus levels in individual excreta spots varying within and between mosquitoes and depending highly on mosquito viral load. Detectability was improved by pooling up to 20 DENV2-infected mosquitoes and collecting excreta into liquid substrate, followed by virus concentration using magnetic nanoparticles. Virus concentration improves quantification accuracy in comparison to unconcentrated samples and increases the amount of material available for detection, expanding detection capabilities to techniques with higher limits of detection. Mosquito excreta as a sample type, coupled with magnetic virus concentration, expands the current detection toolbox for DENV2 and has the potential to improve arbovirus surveillance strategies in Australia.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/1/42arbovirussurveillancemosquito excretamagnetic virus concentrationDengue virus |
| spellingShingle | Tess R. Malcolm Melissa J. Klein Karolina Petkovic Ina Smith Kim R. Blasdell Exploring Mosquito Excreta as an Alternative Sample Type for Improving Arbovirus Surveillance in Australia Pathogens arbovirus surveillance mosquito excreta magnetic virus concentration Dengue virus |
| title | Exploring Mosquito Excreta as an Alternative Sample Type for Improving Arbovirus Surveillance in Australia |
| title_full | Exploring Mosquito Excreta as an Alternative Sample Type for Improving Arbovirus Surveillance in Australia |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Mosquito Excreta as an Alternative Sample Type for Improving Arbovirus Surveillance in Australia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Mosquito Excreta as an Alternative Sample Type for Improving Arbovirus Surveillance in Australia |
| title_short | Exploring Mosquito Excreta as an Alternative Sample Type for Improving Arbovirus Surveillance in Australia |
| title_sort | exploring mosquito excreta as an alternative sample type for improving arbovirus surveillance in australia |
| topic | arbovirus surveillance mosquito excreta magnetic virus concentration Dengue virus |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/1/42 |
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