Pathogens spread by high-flying wind-borne mosquitoes

Mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue threaten billions of people and cause the death of hundreds of thousands annually. Recent studies have revealed that many mosquito species regularly engage in high-altitude wind-borne migration, but its epidemiological significance remains unclear. The hypothesis that high-flying mosquitoes spread pathogens over long distances has not been directly tested. Here, we report that high-flying mosquitoes are commonly infected with arboviruses, protozoans, and helminths and provide a insights into this pathogen-vector aerial network. A total of 1,017 female mosquitoes intercepted on nets suspended from helium balloons at 120 to 290 m above ground over Mali and Ghana were screened for infection with arboviruses, Haemosporida, and filariae. The mosquitoes collected at altitude comprised 61 species, across 10 genera, dominated by <i>Culex</i>, <i>Aedes,</i> and <i>Anopheles</i>. Infection and infectiousness (capacity to transmit a pathogen to another host inferred based on disseminated infection) rates of migrant mosquitoes were 7.2% and 4.4% with <i>Plasmodium</i> spp., 1.6% and 0.6% with filariae, and 3.5% and 1.1% with flaviviruses, respectively. Twenty-one mosquito-borne pathogens were identified, including Dengue, West Nile, and M'Poko viruses, 15 avian <i>Plasmodium</i> species including <i>Plasmodium matutinum</i>, and three filariids, including <i>Pelecitus</i> sp. Confirmed head-thorax (disseminated) infections of multiple pathogens in <i>Culex perexiguus</i>, <i>Mansonia uniformis</i>, and <i>Anopheles squamosus</i> reveal that pathogens carried by high-altitude wind-borne mosquitoes are capable of infecting hosts far from their departure location. This high-altitude traffic of sylvatic pathogens (circulating in wild animals) may be key to their maintenance among enzootic foci as well as initiating outbreaks at distant locations.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2025-11-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2513739122
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Mosquito-borne diseases and control
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
3.76
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Pathogens spread by high-flying wind-borne mosquitoes

Roland Bamou, Benjamin J. Krajacich, Scott C. Weaver, Christopher Mfum Owusu-Asenso et al.
2 citations
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Mosquito-borne diseases and control
3.76
article

Pathogens spread by high-flying wind-borne mosquitoes

Roland Bamou, Benjamin J. Krajacich, Scott C. Weaver, Christopher Mfum Owusu-Asenso, Cedric Kouam, Roy Faiman, Djibril Samaké, Koray Ergünay, Abdul Rahim Mohammed, Ananías A. Escalante, Yaw A. Afrane, Rita Nartey, Jason W. Chapman, Tovi Lehmann, Brian P. Bourke, Gabriel Akosah-Brempong, M. Andreína Pacheco, Adama Dao, Don R. Reynolds, Alpha Seydou Yaro, Zana L. Sanogo, Yvonne-Marie Linton, Cosmos M. Pambit-Zong
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue threaten billions of people and cause the death of hundreds of thousands annually. Recent studies have revealed that many mosquito species regularly engage in high-altitude wind-borne migration, but its epidemiological significance remains unclear. The hypothesis that high-flying mosquitoes spread pathogens over long distances has not been directly tested. Here, we report that high-flying mosquitoes are commonly infected with arboviruses, protozoans, and helminths and provide a insights into this pathogen-vector aerial network. A total of 1,017 female mosquitoes intercepted on nets suspended from helium balloons at 120 to 290 m above ground over Mali and Ghana were screened for infection with arboviruses, Haemosporida, and filariae. The mosquitoes collected at altitude comprised 61 species, across 10 genera, dominated by <i>Culex</i>, <i>Aedes,</i> and <i>Anopheles</i>. Infection and infectiousness (capacity to transmit a pathogen to another host inferred based on disseminated infection) rates of migrant mosquitoes were 7.2% and 4.4% with <i>Plasmodium</i> spp., 1.6% and 0.6% with filariae, and 3.5% and 1.1% with flaviviruses, respectively. Twenty-one mosquito-borne pathogens were identified, including Dengue, West Nile, and M'Poko viruses, 15 avian <i>Plasmodium</i> species including <i>Plasmodium matutinum</i>, and three filariids, including <i>Pelecitus</i> sp. Confirmed head-thorax (disseminated) infections of multiple pathogens in <i>Culex perexiguus</i>, <i>Mansonia uniformis</i>, and <i>Anopheles squamosus</i> reveal that pathogens carried by high-altitude wind-borne mosquitoes are capable of infecting hosts far from their departure location. This high-altitude traffic of sylvatic pathogens (circulating in wild animals) may be key to their maintenance among enzootic foci as well as initiating outbreaks at distant locations.

Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesVol. 122(48)
Smithsonian Institution (US), Nanjing Agricultural University (CN), National Museum of Natural History (US), University of Ghana (GH), University of Exeter (GB), Rothamsted Research (GB), Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GH), University of Bamako (ML), Evolutionary Genomics (United States) (US), Office of Infectious Diseases (US), Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (ML), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (US), Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (ES), Natural Resources Institute (GB), University of Greenwich (GB), The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (US), Temple University (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 6%
Mosquito-borne diseases and control
3.76
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.