Total microbiome of an African filarial and arbovirus vector, Culex quinquefasciatus: insights into composition and prevalence of human pathogenic microbes

Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes are important vectors for zoonotic pathogens like West Nile virus, dengue fever virus, and Rift Valley fever virus. Despite their role in pathogen transmission, comprehensive microbiome studies of these mosquitoes in Africa are limited, with most research elsewhere focusing on their midgut microbiome. This study addresses this gap by analysing the total microbiome of African Cx. quinquefasciatus from Zambia using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). The study generated 71,817 and 29,908 reads specific to Cx. quinquefasciatus and microbes, respectively, identifying 146 distinct microbes. Bacteria were the most prevalent, accounting for 85.6% (125/146) of all microbes, followed by viruses (8.2%, 12/146), fungi (4.8%, 7/146), and other eukaryotic organisms (1.4%, 2/146). Frequently detected genera included Rickettsia sp., Wolbachia sp., Erwinia sp., Enterococcus sp., Pantoea sp., and Providencia sp. Providencia rettgeri, Wolbachia endosymbiont of Cx. quinquefasciatus , and Rickettsia endosymbiont of Bemisia tabaci were among the most abundant species. Notably, about 7.4% of the identified microbes are known human pathogens. This study provides an overview of the microbiome of Cx. quinquefasciatus , highlighting symbiotic, commensal, and pathogenic microbes, some of which could be useful for microbial manipulation strategies to control mosquitoes and mosquito-borne pathogens.