Vector competence of Aedes japonicus for chikungunya and dengue viruses

Abstract

The Asian bush mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald, 1901) (=Ochlerotatus japonicus (sensu Reinert et al., 2004) =Hulecoeteomyia japonica (sensu Reinert et al., 2006)), has invaded large parts of North America and has recently started to spread in Central-Western Europe. The species is suspected to act as a bridge vector of West Nile virus but nothing or very little is known about its vector competence for Chikungunya and Dengue viruses. Here, we report on experiments of laboratory infections of Ae. japonicus with CHIKV and DENV, demonstrating that the species has a vector potential for both viruses. Considering the high abundance of the species in urban environments and its ability to feed on human, these results plead to include this species when processing risk assessments for mosquito-borne diseases.