Dehydration Alters Transcript Levels in the Mosquito Midgut, Likely Facilitating Rapid Rehydration following a Bloodmeal.

The mosquito midgut is an important site for bloodmeal regulation while also acting as a primary site for pathogen exposure within the mosquito. Recent studies show that exposure to dehydrating conditions alters mosquito bloodfeeding behaviors as well as post-feeding regulation, likely altering how pathogens interact with the mosquito. Unfortunately, few studies have explored the underlying dynamics between dehydration and bloodmeal utilization, and the overall impact on disease transmission dynamics remains veiled.

Bloodmeal regulation in mosquitoes curtails dehydration-induced mortality, altering vectorial capacity.

Mosquitoes readily lose water when exposed to any humidity less than that of near saturated air unless mitigated, leading to shifts in behavior, survival, distribution, and reproduction. In this study, we conducted a series of physiological experiments on two prominent species in the Culicinae subfamily: Culex pipiens, a vector of West Nile virus, and Aedes aegypti, a vector of yellow fever and Zika to examine the effects of dehydration. We exposed C.