Mosquito hunters: Maarten Schrama, Maud Kok, Sam Boerlijst Loes Busscher, Teresa Leslie, Delia Goilo, Klaas-Douwe Dijkstra and Jordy van der Beek.
ST. EUSTATIUS--A team of researchers from Naturalis Biodiversity Center of Leiden University and Erasmus University in the Netherlands are on St. Eustatius this week to carry out a mosquito mission.
The team of five students and two scientists will conduct an extensive mosquito survey. Ten sampling sites have been identified and various methods will be used to collect, count and classify their catch.
“Don't blame the mosquito,” said Dr. Klaas-Douwe Dijkstra who is co-leading the research work on mosquito mapping with Dr. Maarten Schrama. “Mosquito-borne diseases are caused by transmission of viruses, parasites or bacteria with the delivery of such cargo their bite may be deadly. So the more we know about their lifestyle, the more we can protect ours.”
Dijkstra works for the Naturalis Biodiversity Center based in Leiden. This national museum of natural history undertakes countless research projects throughout the world to understand the interaction between species.
“Mosquitoes are attracted to the air we breathe out,” Dijkstra explains. “Our traps produce carbon dioxide and by placing them throughout the island, our findings could provide the local health department with a strategy for dealing with mosquito-borne disease.”
Dr. Teresa E. Leslie from the Eastern Caribbean Public Health Foundation is working closely on the project. “The last mosquito survey conducted on St. Eustatius was in 1947 when 11 different species were identified,” Leslie explains. “It will be interesting to know if this number has gone up or down; and knowing which mosquitoes are present can tell us which diseases we may become exposed to."
Dr. Dijkstra explains that samples will be sent to both Naturalis and Erasmus University. Mosquitoes will be identified first by visual inspection and afterwards a leg from the mosquito will be shipped to verify the identification through genetic testing. The rest of the mosquito will be sent to Erasmus University in Rotterdam to investigate the viral genetics and see if the mosquitoes are carrying diseases.
A new method called meta-barcoding will also be tried out on environmental DNA. These are traces of genetic material that the mosquito larvae leave in the water where they breed. This particular method may be an easy way to rapidly determine what is living in water.
The mosquito mission on Statia will be completed by the end of this week. Next research destinations are St. Maarten, then Saba where the team will carry out similar research work.
“Rewarding and exciting” are how the team describes their work. They also thank the island community of Statia for their support and assistance in completing their project.
