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Vertical transmission of zika virus in Aedes albopictus.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod-borne flavivirus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Aedes albopictus is an important vector of ZIKV worldwide. To date, most experiments have focused on the vertical transmission of ZIKV in Ae. aegypti, while studies on Ae. albopictus are very limited. To explore vertical transmission in Ae. albopictus, a series of laboratory studies were carried out. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:In this study, Ae. albopictus were blood-fed with ZIKV-infectious blood, and the ovaries and offspring viral infection rates were analyzed by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). ZIKV was detected in the ovaries and oviposited eggs in two gonotrophic cycles. The minimum filial egg infection rates in two gonotrophic cycles were 2.06% and 0.69%, and the effective population transmission rate was 1.87%. The hatching, pupation, and emergence rates of infected offspring were not significantly different from those of uninfected offspring, indicating that ZIKV did not prevent the offspring from completing the growth and development process. ZIKV was detected in three of thirteen C57BL/6 suckling mice bitten by ZIKV-positive F1 females, and the viremia persisted for at least seven days. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:ZIKV can be vertically transmitted in Ae. albopictus via transovarial transmission. The vertical transmission rates in F1 eggs and adults were 2.06% and 1.87%, respectively. Even though the vertical transmission rates were low, the female mosquitoes infected via the congenital route horizontally transmitted ZIKV to suckling mice through bloodsucking. This is the first experimental evidence of offspring with vertically transmitted ZIKV initiating new horizontal transmission. The present study deepens the understanding of the vertical transmission of flaviviruses in Aedes mosquitoes and sheds light on the prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases.

SUBMITTER: Lai Z

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7671534 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Vertical transmission of zika virus in Aedes albopictus.

Lai Zetian Z Zhou Tengfei T Zhou Jiayong J Liu Shuang S Xu Ye Y Gu Jinbao J Yan Guiyun G Chen Xiao-Guang XG

PLoS neglected tropical diseases 20201015 10

<h4>Background</h4>Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod-borne flavivirus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Aedes albopictus is an important vector of ZIKV worldwide. To date, most experiments have focused on the vertical transmission of ZIKV in Ae. aegypti, while studies on Ae. albopictus are very limited. To explore vertical transmission in Ae. albopictus, a series of laboratory studies were carried out.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>In this study, Ae. albopictus were blood-fed with ZIKV-in ...[more]

PMID: 33057411

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Zika virus (ZIKV) emerged in the Pacific Ocean and subsequently caused a dramatic Pan-American epidemic after its first appearance in the Northeast region of Brazil in 2015. The virus is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. We evaluated the role of temperature and infectious doses of ZIKV in vector competence of Brazilian populations of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Two Ae. aegypti (Rio de Janeiro and Natal) and two Ae. albopictus (Rio de Janeiro and Manaus) populations were orally challenged with five viral doses (102 to 106 PFU / ml) of a ZIKV strain (Asian genotype) isolated in Northeastern Brazil, and incubated for 14 and 21 days in temperatures mimicking the spring-summer (28°C) and winter-autumn (22°C) mean values in Brazil. Detection of viral particles in the body, head and saliva samples was done by plaque assays in cell culture for determining the infection, dissemination and transmission rates, respectively. Compared with 28°C, at 22°C, transmission rates were significantly lower for both Ae. aegypti populations, and Ae. albopictus were not able to transmit the virus. Ae. albopictus showed low transmission rates even when challenged with the highest viral dose, while both Ae. aegypti populations presented higher of infection, dissemination and transmission rates than Ae. albopictus. Ae. aegypti showed higher transmission efficiency when taking virus doses of 105 and 106 PFU/mL following incubation at 28°C; both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were unable to transmit ZIKV with virus doses of 102 and 103 PFU/mL, regardless the incubation temperature. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:The ingested viral dose and incubation temperature were significant predictors of the proportion of mosquito's biting becoming infectious. Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus have the ability to transmit ZIKV when incubated at 28°C. However Brazilian populations of Ae. aegypti exhibit a much higher transmission potential for ZIKV than Ae. albopictus regardless the combination of infection dose and incubation temperature.

Project description:Several mosquito species have been described as vectors for the Zika virus (ZIKV), such as those in the Aedes, Anopheles, Mansonia and Culex genera. Our previous survey studies were found the ZIKV RNA positive in both male, female and larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus Say and Aedes aegypti (L.) mosquitoes collected from active ZIKV infected patients' homes in Thailand. Therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate whether ZIKV could be vertically transmitted in Cx. quinquefasciatus, Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Laboratory and field colonies of these mosquito species were maintained and artificially fed with ZIKV in human blood. Fully engorged mosquitoes (F0) were selected and reared for the vertical transmission study. The subsequent mosquito generations were fed with human blood without the virus. ZIKV in the mosquitoes was detected by hemi-nested RT-PCR and sequencing. C6/36 cells were used to isolate ZIKV from samples that tested positive by hemi-nested RT-PCR. Moreover, ZIKV was identified by immunocytochemical staining 7 days after infection in several organs of infected F0 females, including the salivary glands, midguts, yoke granules and facet cells of the eye. The localization of the ZIKV antigen was identified by the presence of the specific antibody in the salivary glands, midguts, yoke granules and facet cells. ZIKV was detected in female and male Cx. quinquefasciatus until the F6 and F2 generations, respectively. The isolated virus showed cytopathic effects in C6/36 cells by 5 days postinfection. The results suggested that the vertical transmission of ZIKV occurs in Cx. quinquefasciatus in the laboratory. However, we were able to detect the presence of ZIKV in Ae. aegypti in only the F1 generation in both male and female mosquitoes, and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes were not able to vertically transmit the virus at all. Data obtained from this study could be valuable for developing a better understanding of the role of Cx. quinquefasciatus as a potential vector for ZIKV transmission in Thailand and may be useful in creating more effective mosquito vector control strategies in the future.

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Vertical transmission of zika virus in Aedes albopictus.

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Vertical transmission of zika virus in Aedes albopictus.

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