| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2022 | Volume
: 7
| Issue : 2 | Page : 118-124 |
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Screening of field-caught mosquitoes for the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the southwest of Saudi Arabia
Yasser Alraey1, Gaffar S Zaman2, Sultan M Alhefdi1, Roaa A Asiri1, Sarah M Alshehri1, Sultan Z Alasmari1, Abdulrahim Hakami1, Alghamdi Ibrahim Saeed3, Ayed A Dera1
1 Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Central Research Laboratory, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
2 Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
3 Asir Central Hospital, Ministry of Health, Abha, Saudi Arabia
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Yasser Alraey
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Central Research Laboratory, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha
Saudi Arabia
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/KKUJHS.KKUJHS_36_22
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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.
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