Chikungunya Virus and Aedes Mosquitoes: Saliva Is Infectious as soon as Two Days after Oral Infection
M Dubrulle, L Mousson, S Moutailler, M Vazeille… - PloS one, 2009 - journals.plos.org
M Dubrulle, L Mousson, S Moutailler, M Vazeille, AB Failloux
PloS one, 2009•journals.plos.orgBackground Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are potential vectors of chikungunya virus
(CHIKV). The recent CHIKV outbreaks were caused by a new variant characterized by a
mutation in the E1 glycoprotein gene (E1-226V) which has favored a better transmissibility
by Ae. albopictus. As Ae. albopictus tends to replace Ae. aegypti in many regions, one
question remained: is Ae. albopictus as efficient as Ae. aegypti to transmit the variant E1-
226V of CHIKV? Methodology and Findings We infected orally both species with the variant …
(CHIKV). The recent CHIKV outbreaks were caused by a new variant characterized by a
mutation in the E1 glycoprotein gene (E1-226V) which has favored a better transmissibility
by Ae. albopictus. As Ae. albopictus tends to replace Ae. aegypti in many regions, one
question remained: is Ae. albopictus as efficient as Ae. aegypti to transmit the variant E1-
226V of CHIKV? Methodology and Findings We infected orally both species with the variant …
Background
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are potential vectors of chikungunya virus (CHIKV). The recent CHIKV outbreaks were caused by a new variant characterized by a mutation in the E1 glycoprotein gene (E1-226V) which has favored a better transmissibility by Ae. albopictus. As Ae. albopictus tends to replace Ae. aegypti in many regions, one question remained: is Ae. albopictus as efficient as Ae. aegypti to transmit the variant E1-226V of CHIKV?
Methodology and Findings
We infected orally both species with the variant E1-226V and estimated the infection, the viral dissemination, and the transmission rate by real time RT-PCR. Additionally, we used an in vitro assay to determine the amount of virus delivered by mosquitoes in their saliva. We found that Ae. aegypti as well as Ae. albopictus ensured a high replication of the virus which underwent an efficient dissemination as detectable in the salivary glands at day 2 post-infection (pi). Infectious CHIKV particles were delivered by salivary glands from day 2 with a maximum at day 6 pi for Ae. albopictus (103.3 PFU) and day 7 pi for Ae. aegypti (102.5 PFU).
Conclusions
Ae. albopictus is slightly more efficient than Ae. aegypti to transmit the variant E1-226V of CHIKV. These results will help to design an efficient vector control to limit transmission as soon as the first human cases are diagnosed.
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