Susceptibility of larval Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: culicidae) to dengue virus

Autor(es): Bara, J. J.; Clark, T. M.; Remold, S. K.


Resumo: Mosquitoes vertically transmit many arthropod borne viruses, and as a consequence arboviruses are often present within the larval environment. We tested the hypothesis that Aedes aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) larvae were susceptible to dengue virus through two infection methods: exposure to dengue in the larval growth environment via viral supernatant, and exposure to infected tissue culture along with viral supernatant. In addition to investigating for the first time the susceptibility of larval Ae. albopictus to dengue virus, we analyzed the infection rate and viral titer of infected pools of Ae. aegypti when exposed to multiple serotypes of dengue. We found that both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus larvae were susceptible to the three dengue virus serotypes to which they were exposed regardless of the exposure method and that there were significant differences between the serotypes in infection titer and infection rate. The finding that larval Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus are susceptible to dengue indicates that dengue might be able to spread among larvae within the larval habitat potentially contributing to the persistence of dengue in the environment.


Palavras-Chave: Viral diseases; Larvae; Pest control; Tissue culture; Disease transmission; Public health; Serotypes; Dengue; Infection; Dengue virus; Aedes aegypti; Arthropoda; Culicidae; Diptera; Aedes albopictus


Imprenta: Journal of Medical Entomology, v. 50, n. 1, p. 179-184, 2013.


Descritores: Aedes aegypti - Viral infections ; Aedes aegypti - Virus ; Aedes aegypti - Transmission ; Aedes aegypti - Dengue ; Aedes aegypti - Public health


Data de publicação: 2013