Molecular exploration of mosquitoes and their vector-borne pathogens in urban water environments in Benin

This study aims to evaluate the utility of environmental DNA analysis for detecting mosquitoes and vector-borne pathogens in urban areas. To achieve this, environmental samples from various water matrices were collected in the urban areas of Benin, including Cotonou city, across different seasons (transition from wet to dry season, dry season, and rainy season), and the presence of mosquitoes, DenV, and Plasmodium spp. was assessed. For mosquito detection, metabarcoding was employed to enable comprehensive species identification.