Screening of field-caught mosquitoes for the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the southwest of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: It was observed that the severe acute respiratory syndrome-Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) virus is more transmissible in places that are more clustered and where mosquitoes breed in significant numbers. Therefore, we wanted to study the potential influence of mosquitoes in the COVID-19 transmission in the field settings. Materials and Methods: This research was applied in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire survey was meted out to the quarantined participants diagnosed with the COVID-19 infection. Mosquito traps were located at places with the high rate of human vector contact. A total of 464 female mosquitos were screened for the SARS-CoV-2 S gene utilizing real time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction. In addition, blood-fed mosquitoes were tested through sequencing of the cytochrome b gene region to identify the source of blood meals. Results: People having low economic status and places with high population density, such as parks and malls, resulted in the individuals “high risk of being infected with the COVID-19 infection. Most of the collected blood-fed mosquitoes exhibited a high match-sequencing with human. All tested mosquitoes had not manifested any SARS-CoV-2S gene amplification. Conclusion: Our results highlight the association of low economic status of individuals and the individuals” behavior of frequently visiting parks, with an elevated risk of contracting the COVID-19 infection. Moreover, using a field experiment for the first time in Saudi Arabia, our data supported the theory that the SARS-CoV-2 virus cannot be transmitted through mosquitoes, either by blood meal or by mechanical transmission.