Monitoring the Capacity of Microsporidia MB Transgenerational Spread in Anopheles arabiensis Populations

Microsporidia MB is a natural symbiont of Anopheles arabiensis Patton, 1905 that blocks Plasmodium transmission without compromising mosquito fitness. Developing this symbiont for malaria control requires a thorough understanding of its transmission dynamics across generations under environmentally relevant conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the transgenerational spread of Microsporidia MB in semi-field settings. From field-collected infected females (G0), several independent replicates of Microsporidia MB-infected An. arabiensis were established and maintained under semi-field conditions for six generations (F1-F6). All the mosquitoes were screened for Microsporidia MB prevalence and infection intensity using qPCR after death. Temperature and humidity and wing size were recorded. Two replicates sustained through F6. Microsporidia MB prevalence and intensity increased from F1 to F3-F4 before declining. A weak positive correlation was observed between prevalence and temperature, but not humidity. Female mosquitoes exhibited higher infection intensities. Female wing size varied across generations, while male size remained consistent. This first study on Microsporidia MB transgenerational transmission under semi-field conditions revealed a pattern of initial increase followed by decline in prevalence and intensity. The stability of male size supports the potential use of infected males in release programs. These findings underscore additional investigations into environmental drivers for mosquito symbiont prevalence.