Mosquito-borne viruses are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Traditional mosquito control measures such as insecticide and habitat modification have significant limitations, including off-target effects, that prevent their use in protected wetland environments. Alternatively, the endosymbiotic Wolbachia pipientis has demonstrated capability to suppress mosquito-borne disease transmissions (vector competence), and is increasingly studied for use as a biocontrol measure to simultaneously moderate mosquito population densities and modulate vector competence.
This study examined pool size and its effects on mosquito DNA extraction efficacy and primer pair efficacy to optimise a survey of Wolbchia sp. in native Australian mosquito populations found in the Ramsar protected Hunter Estuary. In addition a 16S rRNA amplicon survey of mosquitoes microbiomes from the Hunter region was performed to characterise microbial associations and identify potential targets for microbial biocontrol of mosquito populations. Results of this study provide essential baseline Wolbachia survey data prior to a planned Wolbachia suppression strategy in the Hunter Estuary.