Zika Virus Infection Produces a Reduction on Aedes aegypti Lifespan but No Effects on Mosquito Fecundity and Oviposition Success

Abstract

A Zika virus (ZIKV) pandemic started soon after the first autochthonous cases in Latin America. Although Aedes aegypti is pointed as the primary vector in Latin America, little is known about the fitness cost due to ZIKV infection. We investigated the effects of ZIKV infection on the life-history traits of Ae. aegypti females collected in three districts of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Barra, Deodoro, and Porto), equidistant ~25 km each other. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were classified into infected (a single oral challenge with ZIKV) and superinfected (two ZIKV-infected blood meals spaced by 7 days each other). ZIKV infection reduced Ae. aegypti survival in two of the three populations tested, and superinfection produced a sharper increase in mortality in one of those populations. We hypothesized higher mortality with the presence of more ZIKV copies in Ae. aegypti females from Porto. The number of eggs laid per clutch was statistically similar between vector populations and infected and uninfected mosquitoes. Infection by ZIKV not affected female oviposition success. ZIKV infection impacted Ae. aegypti vectorial capacity by reducing its lifespan, although female fecundity remained unaltered. The outcome of these findings to disease transmission intensity still needs further evaluation.

Effect of Oral Infection of Mayaro Virus on Fitness Correlates and Expression of Immune Related Genes in Aedes aegypti

“…aegypti from French Polynesia [ 57 ]and reduced lifespan of populations of Ae. aegypti from Brazil [ 58 , 59 ]. In contrast, a large-scale study showed similar survival among cohorts of Ae.…”

“…aegypti . However, we cannot rule out the possibility that viral load may be associated with other costs that were not measured in this study (e.g., nutrient reserves; lifetime fecundity; avidity to blood feed) [ 58 , 61 , 76 ] or under more stressful environmental conditions.…”

Comprehensive Quantitative Proteome Analysis of Aedes aegypti Identifies Proteins and Pathways Involved in Wolbachia pipientis and Zika Virus Interference Phenomenon

“…Aedes aegypti females were orally infected with the ZIKV strain Asian genotype isolated from a patient in Rio de Janeiro (GenBank accession number KU926309). Previous reports have shown high infectivity of this ZIKV isolate to Rio de Janeiro A. aegypti populations, including Porto, which had 100% infected females after receive an infective blood meal (Fernandes et al, 2016;da Silveira et al, 2018;Petersen et al, 2018). Viral titers in supernatants were previously determined by serial dilutions in Vero cells, expressed in plaque-forming units per milliliters (PFU/ml).…”

Vector competence and feeding-excretion behavior of Triatoma rubrovaria (Blanchard, 1843) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) infected with Trypanosoma cruzi TcVI

“…Most of the literature focuses on the costs of parasitism for mosquitoes (e.g. [7,8]), and very little is known for triatomine bugs (Hemiptera, Reduviidae), vectors of animals/cage) under controlled humidity and temperature (55% ± 5% and 22 ± 1˚C, respectively) and light-dark cycles (12:12 h), with no food restriction. The animals were intraperitoneally infected with tissue-derived trypomastigotes CL strain (1x10 4 parasites/0.1 mL NaCl 0.9%).…”

“…Most of the literature focuses on the costs of parasitism for mosquitoes (e.g. [ 7 , 8 ]), and very little is known for triatomine bugs (Hemiptera, Reduviidae), vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), the etiological agent of Chagas disease (ChD).…”