Abstract
BackgroundLike many countries from the Americas, Cuba is threatened by Aedes aegypti-associated arboviruses such as dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV), and chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses. Curiously, when CHIKV was actively circulating in the region in 2013–2014, no autochthonous transmission of this virus was detected in Havana, Cuba, despite the importation of chikungunya cases into this city. To investigate if the transmission ability of local mosquito populations could explain this epidemiological scenario, we evaluated for the first time the vector competence of two Ae. aegypti populations (Pasteur and Párraga) collected from Havana for dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1), CHIKV, and ZIKV.Methodology/Principal findingsMosquito populations were fed separately using blood containing ZIKV, DENV-1, or CHIKV. Infection, dissemination, and transmission rates, were estimated at 3 (exclusively for CHIKV), 7, and 14 days post exposure (dpe) for each Ae. aegypti population-virus combination. Both mosquito populations were susceptible to DENV-1 and ZIKV, with viral infection and dissemination rates ranging from 24–97% and 6–67% respectively. In addition, CHIKV disseminated in both populations and was subsequently transmitted. Transmission rates were low (<30%) regardless of the mosquito population/virus combination and no ZIKV was detected in saliva of females from the Pasteur population at any dpe.Conclusions/SignificanceOur study demonstrated the ability of Ae. aegypti from Cuba to transmit DENV, ZIKV, and CHIKV. These results, along with the widespread distribution and high abundance of this species in the urban settings throughout the island, highlight the importance of Ae. aegypti control and arbovirus surveillance to prevent future outbreaks.
Highlights
Since 2010, the Americas have been facing increased emergence and re-emergence of viral agents transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, raising global concerns about their public health consequences as well as the feasibility of their prevention and control
Dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV), and chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses are mainly transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and together caused near 10 million human cases in the last decade in the Americas
Ae. aegypti has been implicated as the major DENV and ZIKV vector because of its wide distribution on the island, neither field nor experimental approaches have been used to demonstrate the ability of Cuban Ae. aegypti populations to transmit DENVs, ZIKV, and CHIKV
Summary
Since 2010, the Americas have been facing increased emergence and re-emergence of viral agents transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, raising global concerns about their public health consequences as well as the feasibility of their prevention and control. Between 2013 and 2017, the American countries notified around 9.8 million clinical cases of disease associated with infection with dengue (DENV), chikungunya (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIKV) viruses combined [1]. These viruses are active in Cuba, with the country reporting several dengue outbreaks since 1977 [2]. Like many countries from the Americas, Cuba is threatened by Aedes aegypti-associated arboviruses such as dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV), and chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses. When CHIKV was actively circulating in the region in 2013–2014, no autochthonous transmission of this virus was detected in Havana, Cuba, despite the importation of chikungunya cases into this city. To investigate if the transmission ability of local mosquito populations could explain this epidemiological scenario, we evaluated for the first time the vector competence of two Ae. aegypti populations (Pasteur and Parraga) collected from Havana for dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1), CHIKV, and ZIKV.
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