Prevalence and Transmission of Bird Malaria in Turtle Mountains, North Dakota

The Turtle Mountains occur in a unique ecoregion compared with most of North Dakota, and the results of this study play an important role in understanding the transmission of avian Malaria in the area. This study investigates the transmission of avian malaria by identifying species and abundances of host-seeking mosquitoes throughout two summer seasons. Haemosporida were detected in Turtle Mountain mosquitoes and summer birds using real-time PCR, nested PCR, and DNA sequencing. In the 2019 season, 6581 blood-meal seeking mosquitoes were collected with Liberty MM3000 mosquito magnets. In 202 trap nights, 27 different mosquitoes were collected and identified. In the 2020 season (190 trap nights), 8712 blood-meal seeking mosquitoes were collected. A total of 20 different species were identified. The mosquito abundance per trap night changed over the summer with the varying season climate. The highest abundances of mosquitoes were captured in early July. In addition to abundance changes, species composition also changed over the season. Variation of mosquito populations within and between seasons influence Haemosporida infection rates.