Survey and Phylogenetic Analysis of Leucocytozoon (Apicomplexa: Haemosporida) Parasites in Mississippi Black Flies (Diptera: Simuliidae).

For several years, there have been continuous reports of black flies in Mississippi with evidence of transmission of Leucocytozoon spp. This study was conducted to determine the presence and diversity of Leucocytozoon spp. in black flies captured throughout Mississippi. Thirty-three collections, consisting of 346 specimens, were made during the 2-yr period (2015-2016) at 10 locations around the state. In addition to these systematic biweekly collections, 46 specimens were taken in 10 collections at four additional sites from 2009 to 2014, as well as 388 specimens taken in 14 collections during a severe black fly outbreak during March and April of 2018. Out of 186 pooled samples, 21 samples were positive for haemosporidian DNA. Eighteen of those samples were identified as Leucocytozoon spp. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the novel sequences along with existing sequences from the MalAvi database. Results showed several of the sequences constructed in this study had high divergence from the existing sequences from the database.

Survey of Mississippi Mosquito Blood Meals for Vertebrate Host Identification.

Exploring particular mosquito and vertebrate relationships provide insight to potential transmission of several agents of disease. In the current study, the relationship between white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mosquitoes was explored by identifying blood meals within mosquitoes captured throughout Mississippi between June and September of 2013 and 2017. We captured 72 bloodfed mosquitoes between 2 collection years, with a majority of specimens identified as Culex erraticus or Psorophora mathesoni. Seventy-nine percent (26/33) of blood meals in Cx. erraticus originated from the white-tailed deer. These findings implicate mosquitoes may primarily be feeding on white-tailed deer in rural areas of Mississippi.