< i > Wolbachia < /i > strain < i > w < /i > Au efficiently blocks arbovirus transmission in < i > Aedes albopictus < /i >

by Maria Vittoria Mancini, Christie S. Herd, Thomas H. Ant, Shivan M. Murdochy, Steven P. Sinkins The global incidence of arboviral diseases transmitted byAedes mosquitoes, including dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika, has increased dramatically in recent decades. The release ofAedes aegypti carrying the maternally inherited symbiontWolbachia as an intervention to control arboviruses is being trialled in several countries. However, these efforts are compromised in many endemic regions due to the co-localization of the secondary vectorAedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito.Ae.albopictus has an expanding global distribution following incursions into a number of new territories. To date, only thewMel andwPip strains ofWolbachia have been reported to be transferred into and characterized in this vector. AWolbachia strain naturally infectingDrosophila simulans,wAu, was selected for transfer into a MalaysianAe.albopictus line to create a novel triple-strain infection. The newly generated line showed self-compatibility, moderate fitness cost and complete resistance to Zika and dengue infections.
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Source Type: research