Work

Intra-host growth kinetics of dengue virus in the mosquito Aedes aegypti

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Dengue virus (DENV) transmission by mosquitoes is a time-dependent process that begins with the consumption of an infectious blood-meal.DENV infection then proceeds stepwise through the mosquito from the midgut to the carcass, and ultimately to the salivary glands, where it is secreted into saliva and then transmitted anew on a subsequent bite.We examined viral kinetics in tissues of the Aedes aegypti mosquito over a finely graded time course, and as per previous studies, found that initial viral dose and serotype strain diversity control infectivity.We also found that a threshold level of virus is required to establish body-wide infections and that replication kinetics in the early and intermediate tissues do not predict those of the salivary glands.Our findings have implications for mosquito GMO design, modeling the contribution of transmission to vector competence and the role of mosquito kinetics in the overall DENV epidemiological landscape. Author summaryDENV infection in the mosquito is a complex and dynamic process.Following ingestion of an infected blood meal, DENV enters the mosquito midgut epithelial cells, where it replicates.Subsequently, the virus disseminates and infects other tissues, including hemocytes, fat body and reproductive organs, ultimately reaching the salivary glands.The kinetics of infection are influenced by genetic variation in the virus.Comparisons between strains within single serotypes, have revealed variation in infection rates in mosquitoes.To explore the role of infectious dose, serotype and tissue in viral infection kinetics we sampled DENV loads in populations of infected mosquitoes over numerous, sequential time-points.We reveal that the kinetics of DENV infection in the midgut, carcass and salivary glands of the mosquito Aedes aegypti are strikingly different among the strains

Source: PLoS Pathogens

DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008218

Authors: Mario Novelo, Matthew D. Hall, Damie Pak, Paul R. Young, Edward C. Holmes, Elizabeth A. McGraw

Institutions: Pennsylvania State University, Monash University, The University of Queensland, The University of Sydney

Language: English

Topic: Mosquito-borne diseases and control

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,350