Two Haplotypes of Aedes aegypti Detected by ND4 Mitochondrial Marker in Three Regions of Ecuador

Abstract

Aedes aegypti, also known as the yellow fever mosquito, is the main vector of several arboviruses. In Ecuador, dengue and chikungunya are the most prevalent mosquito-borne diseases. Hence, there is a need to understand the population dynamics and genetic structure of the vector in tropical areas for a better approach towards effective vector control programs. This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity of Ae. aegypti, through the analyses of the mitochondrial gene ND4, using a combination of phylogenetic and population genetic structure from 17 sites in Ecuador. Results showed two haplotypes in the Ecuadorian populations of Ae. aegypti. Haplotype 1 was closely related to Ae. aegypti reported from America, Asia, and West Africa. Haplotype 2 was only related to samples from America. The sampled vectors from the diverse localities showed low nucleotide diversity (π = 0–0.01685) and genetic differentiation (FST = 0.152). AMOVA analyses indicated that most of the variation (85–91%) occurred within populations, suggesting that geographical barriers have little effect on the genetic structure of Ecuadorian populations of Ae. aegypti. These results agree with the one main population (K = 1) detected by Structure. Vector genetic identity may be a key factor in the planning of vector control strategies.

Comportamiento de enfermedades vectoriales en una población manabita, Ecuador

“…Dichas conclusiones coinciden con las indicadas en un estudio en Ecuador, donde se afirma que son enfermedades tropicales desatendidas 14 . En el país, el clima, la movilidad humana y la ubicación geográfica favorecen la proliferación de vectores en las zonas costeras, fenómenos que deben ser estudiados para aportar soluciones que superen las tradicionalmente empleadas 15 . Ecuador es un país tropical, se observan cambios constantes de temperatura con un clima andino y vientos fríos marinos que favorece la proliferación de vectores 4 .…”

Genetic Diversity among Four Populations of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) from Honduras as Revealed by Mitochondrial DNA Cytochrome Oxidase I

“…Studies based on different nuclear or mitochondrial molecular markers applied to mosquitoes collected in the Americas [9][10][11]16,18,40] report lower genetic diversity than in some Asian countries [25,26,30,[41][42][43][44] and most of Africa [22,31,45]. However, regardless of their country of origin, the vast majority of studies worldwide suggest the existence of two distinct lineages of Ae.…”

Comparative Genetics Using Three mtDNA Markers in Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) Populations from Four Municipalities in the Satate of Mato Grosso, Brazil.

“…Ponce et al 10 compared Ecuadorian populations of Ae. aegypti from 17 sites and revealed the presence of only two haplotypes.…”

“…Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes are widely used for the identi cation of genetic variants, dispersal patterns, phylogeny, and population dynamic studies of Ae. Aegypti 9,10 . Besides the populational quanti cation of Ae.…”