Abstract
The interaction between vector host preference and host availability on vector blood feeding behaviour has important implications for the transmission of vector-borne pathogens. However, to our knowledge, the effect of bias towards feeding on the same host species from which a first meal was taken, termed fidelity, has not been quantified. Using a mathematical model we showed that vector fidelity to the host species they take a first blood meal from leads to non-homogeneous mixing between hosts and vectors. Taking Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) as a case study, we investigated how vector preference for amplifying vs dead-end hosts and fidelity can influence JEV transmission. We show that in regions where pigs (amplifying hosts) are scarce compared to cattle (dead-end hosts preferred by common JEV vectors), JEV could still be maintained through vector fidelity. Our findings demonstrate the importance of considering fidelity as a potential driver of transmission, particularly in scenarios such as Bangladesh and India where the composition of the host community might initially suggest that transmission is not possible.