Bloodmeal Identification by Direct Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Tested on Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) in Kenya

摘要

Bloodmeal identification for mosquitoes and other hematophagous Diptera is important in the study of malaria and other arthropod-borne disease. Several serological techniques have been used to detect host-specific blood meals. Of the available techniques, the precipitin test has been used most commonly. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) have been developed for bloodmeal identification and have proven useful for field studies. This study describes a simple, direct ELISA to screen mosquitoes for human, cow, goat, pig, horse, and chicken blood meals; and methods to test blood meals for two different hosts in the same microtiter plate well. Anopheles gambiae Giles s. lat. and Anopheles funestus Giles were collected and tested in Kenya to evaluate the ELISA assays. Reprints. (kt)