Mosquito-borne pathogens … Now Rickettsias?

Abstract

In the last few decades, the emergence of several infectious diseases has increased. Mosquitoes are the most important vectors due to their role in transmitting several pathogens, such as dengue, chikungunya and Plasmodium spp. Recently, mosquitoes have been suspected of transmitting Rickettsias, another emerging pathogen. However, their role in the transmission of this agent remains unclear. In this study, we report the detection of a Rickettsia spp. in Coquillettidia venezuelensis mosquitoes collected from Corrientes Province, Argentina. The phylogenetic analyses show that this Rickettsia is related to Rickettsia felis, and the ompB sequence shows high homology with Rickettsia tillamookensis. The evidence of the detection of Rickettsia in mosquitoes shows that several infectious diseases could be transmitted by mosquitoes, and the interaction between them is important to investigate. More studies should be done in order to analyze the impact on public health.