M, J. Kayondo, A. M. Akol, J. J. Lutwama, C. Masiga & C. Masembe.
Primer pairs and protocols were developed to selectively amplify segments of vertebrate mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and cytochrome b (CytB) mtDNA from the bloodmeals of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). The protocols used one pair of COI primers and one pair of Cyt b primers to amplify short segments of DNA. Resultant sequences were then compared with sequences in GenBank, using the BLAST function, for putative host identification. Vertebrate DNA was amplified from 121 of our sample of 300 wild-caught, blood-fed mosquitoes from Zika forest, Uganda and GenBank BLAST searches putatively identified 98% of the amplified sequences, including amphibians, reptiles, mammalian and avian species. Criteria and caveats for putative identification of blood meals are discussed.