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Review
. 2021 Oct 24;10(11):1376.
doi: 10.3390/pathogens10111376.

Advances in Understanding Vector Behavioural Traits after Infection

Nouman Javed  1   2 , Asim Bhatti  2 , Prasad N Paradkar  1
Affiliations
Review

Advances in Understanding Vector Behavioural Traits after Infection

Nouman Javed et al. Pathogens. .

Abstract

Vector behavioural traits, such as fitness, host-seeking, and host-feeding, are key determinants of vectorial capacity, pathogen transmission, and epidemiology of the vector-borne disease. Several studies have shown that infection with pathogens can alter these behavioural traits of the arthropod vector. Here, we review relevant publications to assess how pathogens modulate the behaviour of mosquitoes and ticks, major vectors for human diseases. The research has shown that infection with pathogens alter the mosquito's flight activity, mating, fecundity, host-seeking, blood-feeding, and adaptations to insecticide bed nets, and similarly modify the tick's locomotion, questing heights, vertical and horizontal walks, tendency to overcome obstacles, and host-seeking ability. Although some of these behavioural changes may theoretically increase transmission potential of the pathogens, their effect on the disease epidemiology remains to be verified. This study will not only help in understanding virus-vector interactions but will also benefit in establishing role of these behavioural changes in improved epidemiological models and in devising new vector management strategies.

Keywords: mosquito; ticks; vector behaviour; vector-borne diseases.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Behavioural changes in mosquitoes due to malaria parasite: The major two stages of the malaria parasite (Plasmodium) are sporozoite and oocyst. (a) In the Sporozoite stage, Plasmodium infection affects the fitness and blood feeding of mosquitoes. Most of the experiments reported here are laboratory-based. Host-seeking and biting are the only behaviours on which field experiments have been performed. (b) The oocyst stage of Plasmodium impacts the fitness and blood feeding of mosquitoes. Most of the oocyst stage-based experiments reported here are also laboratory-based. Field data are only available for changes in fecundity.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Behavioural changes in mosquitoes due to viruses: (a) In dengue, the majority of the work has been performed on the blood-feeding behaviour. Most of the data are based on research using DENV-2. DENV-3 has been used to determine changes in feeding time. (b) In Zika, studies have been only performed on the mosquito’s fitness. (c) Mosquito fitness changes after infection with La Crosse virus. (d) Mosquito behavioural changes after infection with lymphatic filariasis is shown here. (e) In the case of the West Nile virus, little work has been performed on both fitness and blood feeding. (f) Chikungunya virus infection leads to changes in the avidity and blood feeding size of the mosquitoes.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Behavioural changes in ticks (adult, nymph) due to Borrelia and Anaplasma: Tick-borne diseases’ pathogens impact the fitness and blood feeding of the ticks. (a) In Borrelia, the majority of work has been performed on the fitness. (b) Contrary to adults, in Borrelia-infected nymphs, ability to overcome physical obstacles, attraction towards cold areas, and questing heights increases. (c) In Anaplasama, research has only been performed on nymphs’ attraction towards cold areas and questing speed of adults.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Behavioural changes in ticks due to Babesia and TBEV: (a) In Babesia’s infected mosquitoes’ fitness, most of the work performed was related to oviposition and reproduction. Babesia’s infection reduces the oviposition period, egg quantity, egg masses, and reproduction of the ticks. In blood feeding, Babesia increases the feeding time, feeding success, and blood ingestion. (b) In all TBEV-based experiments, only adult ticks were considered. In fitness, TBEV infection increases the activeness and aggressiveness of ticks. In blood feeding, TBEV increases the host-seeking of the ticks. In adaptations against insecticides, TBEV increases the activeness and tolerance against DEET.
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