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Viruses
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Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology
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Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Viruses".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 45718

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
1. Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
2. Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststrasse 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany
Interests: emerging and re-emerging viruses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hanna Jöst

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
Interests: mosquitoes; mosquito-borne arboviruses; virus ecology; natural transmission cycles; arboviruses of Africa
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human and animal diseases caused by mosquito-borne viruses (moboviruses) are of growing importance in many countries. Shifts in climate regimes can have a direct impact on the distribution of a species. Therefore, climatic conditions also have a significant impact on the local or regional emergence and frequency of moboviruses, which are significantly influenced by the availability of potential host species. Changes in the distribution of vectors, reservoirs or amplification hosts directly influence the risk of moboviruses’ emergence, e.g. by bringing together humans and animals in close contact with viruses. Thus, changes in climate, as well as other environmental changes (e.g. land-use), are likely to shift the occurrences and transmission risk of moboviruses. This is why emerging or re-emerging moboviruses have reached the forefront of medical research at the global scale, with prominent outbreaks in recent years (e.g. Chikungunya virus or Zika virus). Thus, the fundamental understanding of the mosquito vector and mobovirus ecology is the sine qua non to develop and implement sustainable vector and mobovirus control programs.

Prof. Dr. Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
Dr. Hanna Jöst

Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • ecology
  • virus
  • mosquito
  • climate

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

2 pages, 181 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue “Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology”
by Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit, Eric Agboli and Hanna Jöst
Viruses 2022, 14(2), 357; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v14020357 - 09 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1649
Abstract
Mosquito-borne viruses (MBVs), also known as moboviruses, are associated mainly with mosquitoes and are able to infect humans and other vertebrates [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

18 pages, 3443 KiB  
Article
Novel Epidemic Metrics to Communicate Outbreak Risk at the Municipality Level: Dengue and Zika in the Dominican Republic
by Rhys Kingston, Isobel Routledge, Samir Bhatt and Leigh R Bowman
Viruses 2022, 14(1), 162; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v14010162 - 17 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2572
Abstract
Arboviruses remain a significant cause of morbidity, mortality and economic cost across the global human population. Epidemics of arboviral disease, such as Zika and dengue, also cause significant disruption to health services at local and national levels. This study examined 2014–2016 Zika and [...] Read more.
Arboviruses remain a significant cause of morbidity, mortality and economic cost across the global human population. Epidemics of arboviral disease, such as Zika and dengue, also cause significant disruption to health services at local and national levels. This study examined 2014–2016 Zika and dengue epidemic data at the sub-national level to characterise transmission across the Dominican Republic. For each municipality, spatio-temporal mapping was used to characterise disease burden, while data were age and sex standardised to quantify burden distributions among the population. In separate analyses, time-ordered data were combined with the underlying disease migration interval distribution to produce a network of likely transmission chain events, displayed using transmission chain likelihood matrices. Finally, municipal-specific reproduction numbers (Rm) were established using a Wallinga–Teunis matrix. Dengue and Zika epidemics peaked during weeks 39–52 of 2015 and weeks 14–27 of 2016, respectively. At the provincial level, dengue attack rates were high in Hermanas Mirabal and San José de Ocoa (58.1 and 49.2 cases per 10,000 population, respectively), compared with the Zika burden, which was highest in Independencia and San José de Ocoa (21.2 and 13.4 cases per 10,000 population, respectively). Across municipalities, high disease burden was observed in Cotuí (622 dengue cases per 10,000 population) and Jimani (32 Zika cases per 10,000 population). Municipal infector–infectee transmission likelihood matrices identified seven 0% likelihood transmission events throughout the dengue epidemic and two 0% likelihood transmission events during the Zika epidemic. Municipality reproduction numbers (Rm) were consistently higher, and persisted for a greater duration, during the Zika epidemic (Rm = 1.0) than during the dengue epidemic (Rm < 1.0). This research highlights the importance of disease surveillance in land border municipalities as an early warning for infectious disease transmission. It also demonstrates that a high number of importation events are required to sustain transmission in endemic settings, and vice versa for newly emerged diseases. The inception of a novel epidemiological metric, Rm, reports transmission risk using standardised spatial units, and can be used to identify high transmission risk municipalities to better focus public health interventions for dengue, Zika and other infectious diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology)
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17 pages, 3286 KiB  
Article
Dengue Infection Susceptibility of Five Aedes aegypti Populations from Manaus (Brazil) after Challenge with Virus Serotypes 1–4
by Bárbara Aparecida Chaves, Raquel Soares Maia Godoy, Thaís Bonifácio Campolina, Ademir Bentes Vieira Júnior, Andréia da Costa Paz, Evelyn Beatriz da Costa Vaz, Breno Mello Silva, Rêgila Mello Nascimento, Maria das Graças Vale Barbosa Guerra, Marcus Vinicius Guimarães Lacerda, Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro, Nágila Francinete Costa Secundino and Paulo Filemon Paolucci Pimenta
Viruses 2022, 14(1), 20; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v14010020 - 23 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3232
Abstract
The successful spread and maintenance of the dengue virus (DENV) in mosquito vectors depends on their viral infection susceptibility, and parameters related to vector competence are the most valuable for measuring the risk of viral transmission by mosquitoes. These parameters may vary according [...] Read more.
The successful spread and maintenance of the dengue virus (DENV) in mosquito vectors depends on their viral infection susceptibility, and parameters related to vector competence are the most valuable for measuring the risk of viral transmission by mosquitoes. These parameters may vary according to the viral serotype in circulation and in accordance with the geographic origin of the mosquito population that is being assessed. In this study, we investigated the effect of DENV serotypes (1–4) with regards to the infection susceptibility of five Brazilian Ae. aegypti populations from Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas, Brazil. Mosquitoes were challenged by oral infection with the DENV serotypes and then tested for the presence of the arbovirus using quantitative PCR at 14 days post-infection, which is the time point that corresponds to the extrinsic incubation period of Ae. aegypti when reared at 28 °C. Thus, we were able to determine the infection patterns for DENV-1, -2, -3 and -4 in the mosquito populations. The mosquitoes had both interpopulation and inter-serotype variation in their viral susceptibilities. All DENV serotypes showed a similar tendency to accumulate in the body in a greater amount than in the head/salivary gland (head/SG), which does not occur with other flaviviruses. For DENV-1, DENV-3, and DENV-4, the body viral load varied among populations, but the head/SG viral loads were similar. Differently for DENV-2, both body and head/SG viral loads varied among populations. As the lack of phenotypic homogeneity represents one of the most important reasons for the long-term fight against dengue incidence, we expect that this study will help us to understand the dynamics of the infection patterns that are triggered by the distinct serotypes of DENV in mosquitoes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology)
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12 pages, 1045 KiB  
Article
Vector Competence of the Invasive Mosquito Species Aedes koreicus for Arboviruses and Interference with a Novel Insect Specific Virus
by Stephanie Jansen, Dániel Cadar, Renke Lühken, Wolf Peter Pfitzner, Hanna Jöst, Sandra Oerther, Michelle Helms, Branka Zibrat, Konstantin Kliemke, Norbert Becker, Olli Vapalahti, Giada Rossini and Anna Heitmann
Viruses 2021, 13(12), 2507; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v13122507 - 14 Dec 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3544
Abstract
The global spread of invasive mosquito species increases arbovirus infections. In addition to the invasive species Aedes albopictus and Aedes japonicus, Aedes koreicus has spread within Central Europe. Extensive information on its vector competence is missing. Ae. koreicus from Germany were investigated for [...] Read more.
The global spread of invasive mosquito species increases arbovirus infections. In addition to the invasive species Aedes albopictus and Aedes japonicus, Aedes koreicus has spread within Central Europe. Extensive information on its vector competence is missing. Ae. koreicus from Germany were investigated for their vector competence for chikungunya virus (CHIKV), Zika virus (ZIKV) and West Nile virus (WNV). Experiments were performed under different climate conditions (27 ± 5 °C; 24 ± 5 °C) for fourteen days. Ae. koreicus had the potential to transmit CHIKV and ZIKV but not WNV. Transmission was exclusively observed at the higher temperature, and transmission efficiency was rather low, at 4.6% (CHIKV) or 4.7% (ZIKV). Using a whole virome analysis, a novel mosquito-associated virus, designated Wiesbaden virus (WBDV), was identified in Ae. koreicus. Linking the WBDV infection status of single specimens to their transmission capability for the arboviruses revealed no influence on ZIKV transmission. In contrast, a coinfection of WBDV and CHIKV likely has a boost effect on CHIKV transmission. Due to its current distribution, the risk of arbovirus transmission by Ae. koreicus in Europe is rather low but might gain importance, especially in regions with higher temperatures. The impact of WBDV on arbovirus transmission should be analyzed in more detail. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology)
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12 pages, 1587 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Fluctuating Incubation Temperatures on West Nile Virus Infection in Culex Mosquitoes
by Bethany L. McGregor, Joan L. Kenney and C. Roxanne Connelly
Viruses 2021, 13(9), 1822; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v13091822 - 14 Sep 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2661
Abstract
Temperature plays a significant role in the vector competence, extrinsic incubation period, and intensity of infection of arboviruses within mosquito vectors. Most laboratory infection studies use static incubation temperatures that may not accurately reflect daily temperature ranges (DTR) to which mosquitoes are exposed. [...] Read more.
Temperature plays a significant role in the vector competence, extrinsic incubation period, and intensity of infection of arboviruses within mosquito vectors. Most laboratory infection studies use static incubation temperatures that may not accurately reflect daily temperature ranges (DTR) to which mosquitoes are exposed. This could potentially compromise the application of results to real world scenarios. We evaluated the effect of fluctuating DTR versus static temperature treatments on the infection, dissemination, and transmission rates and viral titers of Culex tarsalis and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes for West Nile virus. Two DTR regimens were tested including an 11 and 15 °C range, both fluctuating around an average temperature of 28 °C. Overall, no significant differences were found between DTR and static treatments for infection, dissemination, or transmission rates for either species. However, significant treatment differences were identified for both Cx. tarsalis and Cx. quinquefasciatus viral titers. These effects were species-specific and most prominent later in the infection. These results indicate that future studies on WNV infections in Culex mosquitoes should consider employing realistic DTRs to reflect interactions most accurately between the virus, vector, and environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology)
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15 pages, 1974 KiB  
Article
Chikungunya Beyond the Tropics: Where and When Do We Expect Disease Transmission in Europe?
by Nils Benjamin Tjaden, Yanchao Cheng, Carl Beierkuhnlein and Stephanie Margarete Thomas
Viruses 2021, 13(6), 1024; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v13061024 - 29 May 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3859
Abstract
Chikungunya virus disease (chikungunya) is a mosquito-borne infectious disease reported in at least 50 countries, mostly in the tropics. It has spread around the globe within the last two decades, with local outbreaks in Europe. The vector mosquito Aedes albopictus (Diptera, Culicidae) has [...] Read more.
Chikungunya virus disease (chikungunya) is a mosquito-borne infectious disease reported in at least 50 countries, mostly in the tropics. It has spread around the globe within the last two decades, with local outbreaks in Europe. The vector mosquito Aedes albopictus (Diptera, Culicidae) has already widely established itself in southern Europe and is spreading towards central parts of the continent. Public health authorities and policymakers need to be informed about where and when a chikungunya transmission is likely to take place. Here, we adapted a previously published global ecological niche model (ENM) by including only non-tropical chikungunya occurrence records and selecting bioclimatic variables that can reflect the temperate and sub-tropical conditions in Europe with greater accuracy. Additionally, we applied an epidemiological model to capture the temporal outbreak risk of chikungunya in six selected European cities. Overall, the non-tropical ENM captures all the previous outbreaks in Europe, whereas the global ENM had underestimated the risk. Highly suitable areas are more widespread than previously assumed. They are found in coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea, in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, and in Atlantic coastal areas of France. Under a worst-case scenario, even large areas of western Germany and the Benelux states are considered potential areas of transmission. For the six selected European cities, June–September (the 22th–38th week) is the most vulnerable time period, with the maximum continuous duration of a possible transmission period lasting up to 93 days (Ravenna, Italy). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology)
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18 pages, 1868 KiB  
Article
Vector Surveillance, Host Species Richness, and Demographic Factors as West Nile Disease Risk Indicators
by John M. Humphreys, Katherine I. Young, Lee W. Cohnstaedt, Kathryn A. Hanley and Debra P. C. Peters
Viruses 2021, 13(5), 934; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v13050934 - 18 May 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2580
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is the most common arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) in the United States (US) and is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in the country. The virus has affected tens of thousands of US persons total since its 1999 North America [...] Read more.
West Nile virus (WNV) is the most common arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) in the United States (US) and is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in the country. The virus has affected tens of thousands of US persons total since its 1999 North America introduction, with thousands of new infections reported annually. Approximately 1% of humans infected with WNV acquire neuroinvasive West Nile Disease (WND) with severe encephalitis and risk of death. Research describing WNV ecology is needed to improve public health surveillance, monitoring, and risk assessment. We applied Bayesian joint-spatiotemporal modeling to assess the association of vector surveillance data, host species richness, and a variety of other environmental and socioeconomic disease risk factors with neuroinvasive WND throughout the conterminous US. Our research revealed that an aging human population was the strongest disease indicator, but climatic and vector-host biotic interactions were also significant in determining risk of neuroinvasive WND. Our analysis also identified a geographic region of disproportionately high neuroinvasive WND disease risk that parallels the Continental Divide, and extends southward from the US–Canada border in the states of Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin to the US–Mexico border in western Texas. Our results aid in unraveling complex WNV ecology and can be applied to prioritize disease surveillance locations and risk assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology)
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10 pages, 1775 KiB  
Article
Adaptive Evolution of New Variants of Dengue Virus Serotype 1 Genotype V Circulating in the Brazilian Amazon
by Geovani de Oliveira Ribeiro, Danielle Elise Gill, Edcelha Soares D’Athaide Ribeiro, Fred Julio Costa Monteiro, Vanessa S. Morais, Roberta Marcatti, Marlisson Octavio da S. Rego, Emerson Luiz Lima Araújo, Steven S. Witkin, Fabiola Villanova, Xutao Deng, Ester Cerdeira Sabino, Eric Delwart, Élcio Leal and Antonio Charlys da Costa
Viruses 2021, 13(4), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13040689 - 16 Apr 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2177
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne viral pathogen that plagues many tropical-climate nations around the world, including Brazil. Molecular epidemiology is a growing and increasingly invaluable tool for understanding the dispersal, persistence, and diversity of this impactful virus. In this study, plasma samples [...] Read more.
Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne viral pathogen that plagues many tropical-climate nations around the world, including Brazil. Molecular epidemiology is a growing and increasingly invaluable tool for understanding the dispersal, persistence, and diversity of this impactful virus. In this study, plasma samples (n = 824) from individuals with symptoms consistent with an arboviral febrile illness were analyzed to identity the molecular epidemiological dynamics of DENV circulating in the Brazilian state of Amapá. Twelve DENV type 1 (DENV-1) genomes were identified, which were phylogenetically related to the BR4 lineage of genotype V. Phylodynamics analysis suggested that DENV-1 BR-4 was introduced into Amapá around early 2010, possibly from other states in northern Brazil. We also found unique amino acids substitutions in the DENV-1 envelope and NS5 protein sequences in the Amapá isolates. Characterization of the DENV-1 BR-4 sequences highlights the potential of this new lineage to drive outbreaks of dengue in the Amazon region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology)
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15 pages, 1318 KiB  
Article
Characterization and Vector Competence Studies of Chikungunya Virus Lacking Repetitive Motifs in the 3′ Untranslated Region of the Genome
by Yauhen Karliuk, Anja vom Hemdt, Janett Wieseler, Martin Pfeffer and Beate M. Kümmerer
Viruses 2021, 13(3), 403; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v13030403 - 04 Mar 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2110
Abstract
Using reverse genetics, we analyzed a chikungunya virus (CHIKV) isolate of the Indian Ocean lineage lacking direct repeat (DR) elements in the 3′ untranslated region, namely DR1a and DR2a. While this deletion mutant CHIKV-∆DR exhibited growth characteristics comparable to the wild-type virus in [...] Read more.
Using reverse genetics, we analyzed a chikungunya virus (CHIKV) isolate of the Indian Ocean lineage lacking direct repeat (DR) elements in the 3′ untranslated region, namely DR1a and DR2a. While this deletion mutant CHIKV-∆DR exhibited growth characteristics comparable to the wild-type virus in Baby Hamster Kidney cells, replication of the mutant was reduced in Aedes albopictus C6/36 and Ae. aegypti Aag2 cells. Using oral and intrathoracic infection of mosquitoes, viral infectivity, dissemination, and transmission of CHIKV-∆DR could be shown for the well-known CHIKV vectors Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Oral infection of Ae. vexans and Culex pipiens mosquitoes with mutant or wild-type CHIKV showed very limited infectivity. Dissemination, transmission, and transmission efficiencies as determined via viral RNA in the saliva were slightly higher in Ae. vexans for the wild-type virus than for CHIKV-∆DR. However, both Ae. vexans and Cx. pipiens allowed efficient viral replication after intrathoracic injection confirming that the midgut barrier is an important determinant for the compromised infectivity after oral infection. Transmission efficiencies were neither significantly different between Ae. vexans and Cx. pipiens nor between wild-type and CHIKV-∆DR. With a combined transmission efficiency of 6%, both Ae. vexans and Cx. pipiens might serve as potential vectors in temperate regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology)
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10 pages, 1229 KiB  
Article
Sindbis Virus Infection in Non-Blood-Fed Hibernating Culex pipiens Mosquitoes in Sweden
by Alexander Bergman, Emma Dahl, Åke Lundkvist and Jenny C. Hesson
Viruses 2020, 12(12), 1441; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v12121441 - 14 Dec 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2055
Abstract
A crucial, but unresolved question concerning mosquito-borne virus transmission is how these viruses can remain endemic in regions where the transmission is halted for long periods of time, due to mosquito inactivity in, e.g., winter. In northern Europe, Sindbis virus (SINV) (genus alphavirus, [...] Read more.
A crucial, but unresolved question concerning mosquito-borne virus transmission is how these viruses can remain endemic in regions where the transmission is halted for long periods of time, due to mosquito inactivity in, e.g., winter. In northern Europe, Sindbis virus (SINV) (genus alphavirus, Togaviridae) is transmitted among birds by Culex mosquitoes during the summer, with occasional symptomatic infections occurring in humans. In winter 2018–19, we sampled hibernating Culex spp females in a SINV endemic region in Sweden and assessed them individually for SINV infection status, blood-feeding status, and species. The results showed that 35 out of the 767 collected mosquitoes were infected by SINV, i.e., an infection rate of 4.6%. The vast majority of the collected mosquitoes had not previously blood-fed (98.4%) and were of the species Cx. pipiens (99.5%). This is the first study of SINV overwintering, and it concludes that SINV can be commonly found in the hibernating Cx. pipiens population in an endemic region in Sweden, and that these mosquitoes become infected through other means besides blood-feeding. Further studies on mosquito ecology and viral interactions are needed to elucidate the mechanisms of the persistence of these viruses over winter. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology)
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

23 pages, 931 KiB  
Review
Uncovering the Burden of Dengue in Africa: Considerations on Magnitude, Misdiagnosis, and Ancestry
by Emily Mary Gainor, Eva Harris and A. Desiree LaBeaud
Viruses 2022, 14(2), 233; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v14020233 - 25 Jan 2022
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 7064
Abstract
Dengue is a re-emerging neglected disease of major public health importance. This review highlights important considerations for dengue disease in Africa, including epidemiology and underestimation of disease burden in African countries, issues with malaria misdiagnosis and co-infections, and potential evidence of genetic protection [...] Read more.
Dengue is a re-emerging neglected disease of major public health importance. This review highlights important considerations for dengue disease in Africa, including epidemiology and underestimation of disease burden in African countries, issues with malaria misdiagnosis and co-infections, and potential evidence of genetic protection from severe dengue disease in populations of African descent. The findings indicate that dengue virus prevalence in African countries and populations may be more widespread than reported data suggests, and that the Aedes mosquito vectors appear to be increasing in dissemination and number. Changes in climate, population, and plastic pollution are expected to worsen the dengue situation in Africa. Dengue misdiagnosis is also a problem in Africa, especially due to the typical non-specific clinical presentation of dengue leading to misdiagnosis as malaria. Finally, research suggests that a protective genetic component against severe dengue exists in African descent populations, but further studies should be conducted to strengthen this association in various populations, taking into consideration socioeconomic factors that may contribute to these findings. The main takeaway is that Africa should not be overlooked when it comes to dengue, and more attention and resources should be devoted to this disease in Africa. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology)
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26 pages, 1383 KiB  
Review
Mosquito Vector Competence for Japanese Encephalitis Virus
by Heidi Auerswald, Pierre-Olivier Maquart, Véronique Chevalier and Sebastien Boyer
Viruses 2021, 13(6), 1154; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v13061154 - 16 Jun 2021
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 5521
Abstract
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a zoonotic pathogen mainly found in East and Southeast Asia and transmitted by mosquitoes. The objective of this review is to summarize the knowledge on the diversity of JEV mosquito vector species. Therefore, we systematically analyzed reports of [...] Read more.
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a zoonotic pathogen mainly found in East and Southeast Asia and transmitted by mosquitoes. The objective of this review is to summarize the knowledge on the diversity of JEV mosquito vector species. Therefore, we systematically analyzed reports of JEV found in field-caught mosquitoes as well as experimental vector competence studies. Based on the investigated publications, we classified 14 species as confirmed vectors for JEV due to their documented experimental vector competence and evidence of JEV found in wild mosquitoes. Additionally, we identified 11 mosquito species, belonging to five genera, with an experimentally confirmed vector competence for JEV but lacking evidence on their JEV transmission capacity from field-caught mosquitoes. Our study highlights the diversity of confirmed and potential JEV vector species. We also emphasize the variety in the study design of vector competence investigations. To account for the diversity of the vector species and regional circumstances, JEV vector competence should be studied in the local context, using local mosquitoes with local virus strains under local climate conditions to achieve reliable data. In addition, harmonization of the design of vector competence experiments would lead to better comparable data, informing vector and disease control measures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology)
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28 pages, 1672 KiB  
Review
Mosquito-Associated Viruses and Their Related Mosquitoes in West Africa
by Eric Agboli, Julien B. Z. Zahouli, Athanase Badolo and Hanna Jöst
Viruses 2021, 13(5), 891; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v13050891 - 12 May 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4615
Abstract
Mosquito-associated viruses (MAVs), including mosquito-specific viruses (MSVs) and mosquito-borne (arbo)viruses (MBVs), are an increasing public, veterinary, and global health concern, and West Africa is projected to be the next front for arboviral diseases. As in-depth knowledge of the ecologies of both western African [...] Read more.
Mosquito-associated viruses (MAVs), including mosquito-specific viruses (MSVs) and mosquito-borne (arbo)viruses (MBVs), are an increasing public, veterinary, and global health concern, and West Africa is projected to be the next front for arboviral diseases. As in-depth knowledge of the ecologies of both western African MAVs and related mosquitoes is still limited, we review available and comprehensive data on their diversity, abundance, and distribution. Data on MAVs’ occurrence and related mosquitoes were extracted from peer-reviewed publications. Data on MSVs, and mosquito and vertebrate host ranges are sparse. However, more data are available on MBVs (i.e., dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, Zika, and Rift Valley fever viruses), detected in wild and domestic animals, and humans, with infections more concentrated in urban areas and areas affected by strong anthropogenic changes. Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Aedes albopictus are incriminated as key arbovirus vectors. These findings outline MAV, related mosquitoes, key knowledge gaps, and future research areas. Additionally, these data highlight the need to increase our understanding of MAVs and their impact on host mosquito ecology, to improve our knowledge of arbovirus transmission, and to develop specific strategies and capacities for arboviral disease surveillance, diagnostic, prevention, control, and outbreak responses in West Africa. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mosquito-Borne Virus Ecology)
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