Genetic Characterisation and Molecular Phylogeny of Mosquito Aedes vittatus Based on COI Gene from Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi, Odisha, India

Introduction: Aedes vittatus is common throughout India and breeds in a variety of locations, including tree holes, cement tanks, rock pools, abandoned containers close to residential areas, and marsh pools. The invasive mosquito species Aedes vittatus has expanded its range across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Mosquito species have been successfully identified by characterising a portion of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene, particularly in light of the difficulty in differentiating mosquito larvae and the scarcity of qualified taxonomists.

Objective: The current study was designed for molecular characterisation of the Aedes vittatus mosquitoes collected from all parts of Bhawanipatna based on mitochondrial COI to provide a wider understanding of the phylogenetic relationships of Aedes vittatus mosquitoes that exist throughout India. The genetic relatedness between Indian mosquitoes and those reported from other parts of the world was also investigated.

Material and Methods: The collection of data was made from different locations of Bhawanipatna Municipal Corporation, the headquarter of the district of Kalahandi, Bhawanipatna is located at 19.9°N 83.17°E. Adult Aedes mosquitoes were surveyed weekly from the selected human dwelling, both inside and outside the house or premises of Bhawanipatna Municipal area from month June 2024 to October 2024. Adult mosquitoes were collected with the help of a manual aspirator tube and a torch light. DNA was isolated from the provided culture. Quality was evaluated on 1.8% Agarose Gel; a single band of high-molecular weight DNA has been observed. The consensus sequence was generated for each sample using BioEdit version 6.0.7 and were searched over the GenBank database using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) against the Aedes vittatus genomes in NCBI, GenBank. The complete sequences were deposited in GenBank with accession no. PQ477920.1.

Conclusion: Aedes vittatus vector might be introduced to Kalahandi, Odisha from neighbouring states. The presence of this competent vector is most probably a risk of transmission of arboviruses such as Dengue fever, Yellow fever, West Nile virus, Zika virus and Chikungunya virus in this area.