Citizen Science Detection and Characterization of Mosquito-Borne Viruses

Abstract

Citizen science has long been applied to collect data on mosquito abundance and distribution and thereby provide critical information on the movements of invasive species and potentially associated human pathogens. This study, conducted in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador and in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, showed that citizen scientists can provide mosquito samples from remote locations in a very cost-effective manner, and, thereby, contribute to the development of a comprehensive spatial database on native and invasive species. However, there have been some concerns about the quality of such data, and the reliability and sustainability of such means of conducting surveillance. Virological screening allowed us to identify 6.2% (17/274) of the tested mosquito pools as positive for either snowshoe hare virus (SHV, 14 pools) or Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV)-like viruses (3 pools). Additionally, we found evidence of clear geographic patterns in SHV circulation and identified a novel and likely reassortant JCV-like virus. The detection of viruses in native species from remote rural locations clearly validated the importance of public participation in mosquito surveillance. Despite several potential issues, citizen science can become an indispensable means of enabling ecological research in the context of public and animal health.

Keywords: Bunyaviruses; Jamestown Canyon virus; Newfoundland and Labrador; citizen science; invasive species; mosquito surveillance; public participation; sequence analysis; snowshoe hare virus.