Mosquitoes as vector-based sentinels for tracking bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in the environment

Mosquitoes are increasingly recognized as mobile interfaces linking humans, animals, and diverse aquatic and terrestrial microbiomes. Beyond their established role as disease vectors, accumulating evidence indicates that mosquitoes harbor diverse bacterial communities and can acquire and potentially disseminate bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants through feeding and environmental contact. Their dispersal capacity (typically 5-10 km, with occasional long-range wind-assisted movement), combined with a dual feeding ecology-blood feeding in females and nectar feeding in males-facilitates broad microbial exchange across ecosystems. These characteristics position mosquitoes as underutilized environmental sentinels for tracking microbial contamination and AMR dissemination. This mini-review highlights the potential of mosquitoes for detecting bacterial pathogens and AMR genes and emphasizes their emerging role within integrated One Health surveillance frameworks.