Pyrethroids are the most used insecticide class worldwide. They target the voltage gated sodium channel (NaV), inducing the knockdown effect. In Aedes aegypti, the main dengue vector, the AaNaV substitutions Val1016Ile and Phe1534Cys are the most important knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations. We evaluated the fitness cost of these kdr mutations related to distinct aspects of development and reproduction, in the absence of any other major resistance mechanism. To accomplish this, we initially set up 68 crosses with mosquitoes from a natural population. Allele-specific PCR revealed that one couple, the one originating the CIT-32 strain, had both parents homozygous for both kdr mutations. However, this pyrethroid resistant strain also presented high levels of detoxifying enzymes, which synergistically account for resistance, as revealed by biological and biochemical assays. Therefore, we carried out backcrosses between CIT-32 and Rockefeller (an insecticide susceptible strain) for eight generations in order to bring the kdr mutation into a susceptible genetic background. This new strain, named Rock-kdr, was highly resistant to pyrethroid and presented reduced alteration of detoxifying activity. Fitness of the Rock-kdr was then evaluated in comparison with Rockefeller. In this strain, larval development took longer, adults had an increased locomotor activity, fewer females laid eggs, and produced a lower number of eggs. Under an inter-strain competition scenario, the Rock-kdr larvae developed even slower. Moreover, when Rockefeller and Rock-kdr were reared together in population cage experiments during 15 generations in absence of insecticide, the mutant allele decreased in frequency. These results strongly suggest that the Ae. aegypti kdr mutations have a high fitness cost. Therefore, enhanced surveillance for resistance should be priority in localities where the kdr mutation is found before new adaptive alleles can be selected for diminishing the kdr deleterious effects.

Environmental modification by anthropogenic actions, disordered urban growth, globalization of international exchange and climate change are some factors that help the emergence and dissemination of human infectious diseases transmitted by vectors. This review discusses the recent entry of three arboviruses in Brazil: Chikungunya, West Nile, and Zika virus, focusing on the challenges for the Country’s public health. The Brazilian population is exposed to infections caused by these three arboviruses widely distributed on the national territory and associated with humans. Without effective vaccine and specific treatment, the maintainance and integration of a continuos entomological and epidemiological surveillance are important so we can set methods to control and prevent these arboviruses in the Country.

Background Aedes aegypti is the main vector of the virus causing Dengue fever, a disease that has increased dramatically in importance in recent decades, affecting many tropical and sub-tropical areas of the globe. It is known that viruses and other parasites can potentially alter vector behavior. We investigated whether infection with Dengue virus modifies the behavior of Aedes aegypti females with respect to their activity level.Methods/Principal FindingsWe carried out intrathoracic Dengue 2 virus (DENV-2) infections in Aedes aegypti females and recorded their locomotor activity behavior. We observed an increase of up to ∼50% in the activity of infected mosquitoes compared to the uninfected controls.ConclusionsDengue infection alters mosquito locomotor activity behavior. We speculate that the higher levels of activity observed in infected Aedes aegypti females might involve the circadian clock. Further studies are needed to assess whether this behavioral change could have implications for the dynamics of Dengue virus transmission.

Dengue is of great concern in various parts of the world, especially in tropical and subtropical countries where the mosquito vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are present. The transmission of this virus to humans, by what is known as horizontal transmission, occurs through the bite of infected females of one or other of the two mosquito species. Furthermore, an infected female or male parent, by what is known as vertical transmission, can transfer this arbovirus to some part of their offspring. Considering that vertical transmission may represent an important strategy for maintaining the circulation of arboviruses in nature, the verification of this phenomenon worldwide is extremely important and necessary to better understand its dynamic. In the present study, we conducted a literature review of the presence of natural vertical transmission of dengue virus in Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus worldwide. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, sciELO and Lilacs and all the studies published in Portuguese, English and Spanish were read, evaluated and organized by mosquito species, serotype and the location at which the samples were collected. Forty-two studies were included in accordance with the exclusion criteria and methodology. The presence of natural vertical transmission in Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus was most clearly evidenced by dengue virus in endemic countries, especially in those in South America and Asia. Despite several African countries being considered endemic for dengue, there is a lack of publications on this subject on that continent, which highlights the importance of conducting studies there. Furthermore, the finding of natural vertical transmission in Ae. albopictus in countries where this species is not yet incriminated as a vector is of great concern as it demonstrates the circulation of this virus in populations of Ae. albopictus and alerts to the possibility of some other mosquito species playing a role in the transmission dynamics of this arbovirus. Parallel to this, the small number of studies of natural vertical transmission of chikungunya and Zika virus in the world may be explained by the recent entry of these arboviruses into most of the countries concerned.

We evaluated the intra- and peri-domiciliary distribution of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus in urban, suburban, and rural districts in the municipalities of Nova Iguaçu and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 2002 to July 2004. Mostly Ae. aegypti females and males were captured in urban areas (56%) and indoors (78%), suggesting a preference by this species to rest inside houses and in areas with high human density, a behavior that favors vector-human contact. Meanwhile, Ae. albopictus females and males were much more common in rural areas (93%) and outdoors (90%), demonstrating their preference to rest in areas with more vegetation, reducing both the probability of vector-human contact and thus their potential role in dengue transmission in the area.

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BackgroundDengue is an arbovirus disease transmitted by two Aedes mosquitoes: Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Virgin females of these two species generally show a bimodal and diurnal pattern of activity, with early morning and late afternoon peaks. Although some studies on the flight activity of virgin, inseminated and blood-fed Ae. aegypti females have been carried out under laboratory conditions, little is known about the effects of such physiological states on the locomotor activity of Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti females. The aim of this study was to analyze, under laboratory conditions, the effects of insemination and blood-feeding on the locomotor activity of Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti females under LD 12:12, at 25°C.MethodsBoth Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti females were obtained from established laboratory colonies. Control groups were represented by virgin/unfed Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti females. Experiments were conducted under laboratory conditions, using an activity monitor that registers individual activity every thirty minutes.ResultsVirgin/unfed Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti females showed a diurnal and bimodal pattern of locomotor activity, with peaks at early morning and late afternoon. Insemination and blood-feeding significantly decreased the locomotor activity of Ae. aegypti females, but inseminated/blood-fed Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus females showed a similar significant decrease on the locomotor activity compared to virgin/unfed females.ConclusionsThis study is the first demonstration of the effects of insemination and blood-feeding on the locomotor activity of Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti females under artificial conditions. Data suggest that Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti females respond in different ways to physiological status changes and such divergence between these two dengue vectors, associated with several ecological differences, could be related to the greater dengue vectorial capacity of Ae. aegypti in Americas in comparison to Ae. albopictus.

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