Mosquitoes That Transmit West Nile Virus Love To Bite Non-Native Lizards: What’s Next?

In the United States, West Nile virus circulates among wild birds, transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, which transmit West Nile virus and other viruses in the southern United States. Humans can become infected when a person is bitten by a West Nile-carrying mosquito.  

A new study published in Frontiers by faculty at UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology finds that Culex mosquitoes prefer to feed on lizards. This finding might help researchers find ways to reduce the number of West Nile-carrying mosquitoes within an ecosystem.    

“We found that lizards, especially the nonnative brown anoles, are major hosts for some of the most important West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis (SLEV) virus vectors in Florida,” said Lawrence Reeves, an assistant professor and entomologist. “Then, in Arizona, we also found that lizards were major hosts for the western West Nile virus Culex vectors as well.” 

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