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. 2019 Jul 31;11(8):695.
doi: 10.3390/v11080695.

Experimental Assessment of Zika Virus Mechanical Transmission by Aedes Aegypti

Antoine Boullis  1 , Nadège Cordel  2   3 , Cécile Herrmann-Storck  4 , Anubis Vega-Rúa  5
Affiliations

Experimental Assessment of Zika Virus Mechanical Transmission by Aedes Aegypti

Antoine Boullis et al. Viruses. .

Abstract

The pandemic emergence of several mosquito-borne viruses highlights the need to understand the different ways in which they can be transmitted by vectors to human hosts. In this study, we evaluated the propensity of Aedes aegypti to transmit mechanically Zika virus (ZIKV) using an experimental design. Mosquitoes were allowed to feed on ZIKV-infected blood and were then rapidly transferred to feed on ZIKV-free blood until they finished their meal. The uninfected blood meals, the mosquito abdomens, as well as the mouthparts dissected from fully and partially engorged mosquitoes were analyzed using RT-qPCR and/or virus titration. All the fully engorged mosquito abdomens were ZIKV-infected, whereas their mouthparts were all ZIKV-negative. Nonetheless, one of the partially engorged mosquitoes carried infectious particles on mouthparts. No infectious virus was found in the receiver blood meals, while viral RNA was detected in 9% of the samples (2/22). Thus, mechanical transmission of ZIKV may sporadically occur via Ae. aegypti bite. However, as the number of virions detected on mouthparts (2 particles) is not sufficient to induce infection in a naïve host, our results indicate that mechanical transmission does not impact ZIKV epidemiology.

Keywords: Aedes aegypti; Arbovirus; Mechanical transmission; ZIKV.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Experimental design used for the assessment of Zika virus (ZIKV) mechanical transmission by Aedes aegypti. (A) Mosquitoes were individualized in plastic tubes and allowed to start feeding on ZIKV-infected blood meal (called source capsule) until blood was visually detected in their abdomen. (B) Once blood was detected, the tube was turned upside down and transferred to a virus-free blood meal (called receiver capsule). (C) The mosquito was allowed to complete the blood meal for 30 min. (D) After engorgement, the receiver capsule compartments (feeding membrane and blood; N = 22) were screened for ZIKV by titration (virus culture, TCID50 and plaque assays) and by real time RT-qPCR. (E,F) Fully engorged mosquito compartments (abdomens and proboscises; N = 22) as well as proboscises of partially engorged mosquitoes (only fed on the source capsule; N = 25) were investigated for the presence of ZIKV using plaque assay titration.
Figure 2
Figure 2
RT-qPCR amplification plots from the two positive feeding membrane samples. In blue, the amplification curves of each sample; in red, the amplification curves of positive control standards.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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