Abstract
Through association with cases of microcephaly in 2015, Zika virus (ZIKV) has transitioned from a relatively unknown mosquito-transmitted pathogen to a global health emergency, emphasizing the need to improve existing mosquito control programs to prevent future disease outbreaks. The response to Zika must involve a paradigm shift from traditional to novel methods of mosquito control, and according to the World Health Organization should incorporate the release of mosquitoes infected with the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis. In our recent paper [Dutra, HLC et al., Cell Host & Microbe 2016] we investigated the potential of Wolbachia infections in Aedes aegypti to restrict infection and transmission of Zika virus recently isolated in Brazil. Wolbachia is now well known for its ability to block or reduce infection with a variety of pathogens in different mosquito species including the dengue (DENV), yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses, and malaria-causing Plasmodium, and consequently has great potential to control mosquito-transmitted diseases across the globe. Our results demonstrated that the wMel Wolbachia strain in Brazilian Ae. aegypti is a strong inhibitor of ZIKV infection, and furthermore appears to prevent transmission of infectious viral particles in mosquito saliva, which highlights the bacterium’s suitability for more widespread use in Zika control.
Highlights
Wolbachia can limit vector-borne disease transmission Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with the wMel Wolbachia strain are already present in the field in several countries as part of a mosquito control strategy designed to reduce the high disease burden of dengue. wMel is an ideal agent for mosquito control as it can rapidly and stably spread into wild mosquito populations through cytoplasmic incompatibility, has little impact on host competitiveness, and offers a high degree of inhibition of DENV
Our results demonstrated that the wMel Wolbachia strain in Brazilian Ae. aegypti is a strong inhibitor of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection, and appears to prevent transmission of infectious viral particles in mosquito saliva, which highlights the bacterium’s suitability for more widespread use in Zika control
By comparison, disseminated infection levels were high amongst Br mosquitoes at both time points, reinforcing the concept of a rapid ZIKV extrinsic incubation period (EIP - the time between virus intake and when the mosquito can transmit it to new hosts) in Ae. aegypti
Summary
Eric Pearce Caragata, Heverton Leandro Carneiro Dutra and Luciano Andrade Moreira*. Through association with cases of microcephaly in 2015, Zika virus (ZIKV) has transitioned from a relatively unknown mosquito-transmitted pathogen to a global health emergency, emphasizing the need to improve existing mosquito control programs to prevent future disease outbreaks. In our recent paper [Dutra, HLC et al, Cell Host & Microbe 2016] we investigated the potential of Wolbachia infections in Aedes aegypti to restrict infection and transmission of Zika virus recently isolated in Brazil. Our use of recently isolated, unfrozen virus meant that our experimental infection process approximated natural virus acquisition for mosquitoes in the field Likewise, both the Wolbachia-infected (wMel_Br) and -uninfected (Br) mosquito lines that we used had a genetic background that was representative of mosquitoes near the Wolbachia release sites in Rio de Janeiro. MICROREVIEW on: Dutra HL, Rocha MN, Dias FB, Mansur SB, Caragata EP, Moreira LA (2016) Wolbachia Blocks Currently Circulating Zika Virus Isolates in Brazilian Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes.
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