Minireview: Epidemiological impact of arboviral diseases in Latin American countries, arbovirus-vector interactions and control strategies

Abstract

Mosquitoes are the most crucial insects in public health due to their vector capacity and competence to transmit pathogens, including arboviruses, bacterias and parasites. Re-emerging and emerging arboviral diseases, such as yellow fever virus (YFV), dengue virus (DENV), zika virus (ZIKV), and chikungunya virus (CHIKV), constitute one of the most critical health public concerns in Latin America. These diseases present a significant incidence within the human settlements increasing morbidity and mortality events. Likewise, among the different genus of mosquito vectors of arboviruses, those of the most significant medical importance corresponds to Aedes and Culex. In Latin America, the mosquito vector species of YFV, DENV, ZIKV, and CHIKV are mainly Aedes aegypti and Ae. Albopictus. Ae. aegypti is recognized as the primary vector in urban environments, whereas Ae. albopictus, recently introduced in the Americas, is more prone to rural settings. This minireview focuses on what is known about the epidemiological impact of mosquito-borne diseases in Latin American countries, with particular emphasis on YFV, DENV, ZIKV, and CHIKV, vector mosquitoes, geographic distribution, and vector-arbovirus interactions. Besides, it was analyzed how climate change and social factors have influenced the spread of arboviruses and the control strategies developed against mosquitoes in this continent.

Estimating the effect of the wMel release programme on the incidence of dengue and chikungunya in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a spatiotemporal modelling study

“…A albopictus also circulates in Rio de Janeiro but has not been implicated as being involved in dengue and chikungunya incidence in this city. 29 A role for A albopictus in affecting w Mel introgression in A aegypti remains unclear.…”

Blood feeding habits of mosquitoes: hardly a bite in South America

“…The main vectors are Haemagogus janthinomys and Hg. leucocelaenus , but other Haemagogus (4 species), Sabethes (5), Aedes (3), and Psorophora (2) have also been characterized as locally important vectors (Segura et al 2021 ). In relation to this, Haemagogus and Sabethes mosquitoes are also considered candidate vectors for a potential sylvatic ZIKV cycle in the New World (Karna et al 2018 ).…”

Editorial: Cellular, molecular and immunological aspects in arboviruses infection

“…It is important to remember that these families are not genetically related, but it is their transmission cycle that groups them as arboviruses. These viruses have been related to a series of human diseases, ranging mainly from hemorrhagic fevers, encephalitis and an arthritis syndrome ( Segura et al., 2021 ). However, the evolutionary changes of several arboviruses have generated a diversification in the tropism and transmission of these pathogens promoting complications during pregnancy or being considered the cause of sexually transmitted infections ( Arévalo Romero et al., 2019 ).…”