Dataset of high-flying mosquitoes with infection status

Recent studies have revealed that many mosquito species regularly engage in high-altitude windborne migration, but its epidemiological significance was debated. The hypothesis that high-altitude mosquitoes spread pathogens over large distances has not been directly tested. Here, we report for the first time that high-altitude windborne mosquitoes are commonly infected with arboviruses, protozoans, and helminths affecting vertebrates and humans, and provide the first description of this pathogen-vector aerial network. A total of 1,017 female mosquitoes (81.4%, N = 1,249) intercepted on nets suspended from helium balloons at altitudes of 120-290 m above ground in Mali and Ghana were screened for infection with arboviruses, plasmodia, and filariae using pan-genus qPCR analyses followed by sequencing of positive samples.This dataset highlights the identification of mosquito species, the composition of sexual and gonotrophic states, and the infection status.