How Fast Do Mosquitoes Digest Blood?
WouterVarious factors influence the rate of blood digestion in mosquitoes. These include host preference, species and host density, and feeding periodicity. Several laboratory-based experiments were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using mosquitoes for blood meal analysis.
The first study investigated whether the rate of blood meal digestion in mosquitoes could be measured. The study was conducted using a laboratory strain of Anopheles cracens. The mosquitoes were 8-12 days old and were completely engorged. They were then held at different time points after feeding to examine their responses.
The results showed that mosquitoes were able to uptake human blood for several days, although the rate at which they did so decreased with the number of hours they remained engorged. However, the number of mosquitoes that were able to feed on human blood was higher than the number that did not.
Another study investigated the rate of blood digestion in mosquitoes through the use of a PCR assay. Amplification of host DNA was carried out every 12 hours for 96 hours. The number of amplified PCR products appeared less prominent in gel electrophoresis after the first blood meal. The success rate was lower for later stages of digestion.
These studies indicate that mosquitoes are not picky about blood type. However, there are a few limitations to using visual engorged resting mosquitoes for blood meal analysis. These limitations include the fact that the visual engorgement does not account for the proportion of blood meals from different host sources.
