DNA-based identification of mosquito blood meals in northeastern Iran: insights into feeding behavior

Mosquito blood meal analysis is critical for understanding vector-borne disease transmission. This study provides the first molecular evidence of host-feeding patterns in the climatically diverse Golestan Province, northeastern Iran. From April to December 2023, 491 female mosquitoes (51 Anophelines, 440 Culicines) were collected across nine locations. Blood-fed specimens (n = 42) were analyzed using multiplex-PCR to identify vertebrate hosts, targeting humans, bovines, horses, goats, dogs, cats, chickens, and rats. Culex tritaeniorhynchus (n = 26) showed a strong pattern for humans (53.8%) and bovines (30.8%), with 26.9% mixed meals. Anopheles hyrcanus (n = 9) predominantly fed on humans (88.9%), with 33.3% mixed meals including goats and chickens. Culex pipiens s.l. (n = 5) equally favored humans and bovines (60.0% each), while Culex theileri (n = 1) and Anopheles maculipennis (n = 1) fed on goats and humans, respectively. Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Cx. pipiens s.l. and An. hyrcanus feed on both humans and animals and could act as bridge vectors for zoonoses. In Golestan, this suggests zoonotic risk and need for stronger vector surveillance and control, especially for An. hyrcanus and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus. Because sample sizes were small, however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and confirmed by larger, multi-seasonal, multi-site studies.