Experiments on Réunion island's tiger mosquitoes and the dengue virus

A new study published in the journal PLOS ONE examined the vector competence of 10 populations of tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus) from Réunion Island, exposed to three local strains of the dengue virus. This research, led by Dr. Célestine ATYAME and Dr. Patrick MAVINGUI, was conducted under the RUNDENG project and supported by the maintenance of local mosquito populations in the PLATIN-OI infectious disease lab.

The findings revealed efficient transmission of dengue serotype 1 (DENV-1) with rates up to 40%, while serotype 2 (DENV-2) was not transmitted. Notably, mosquitoes reared longer in the lab showed higher transmission compared to those directly collected in the wild. This study experimentally demonstrates that Réunion's tiger mosquitoes are capable of transmitting the local DENV-1 strain, highlighting the importance of studying local mosquito populations to better understand disease transmission.

Reference : Sarah Hafsia, Tatiana Barbar, Haoues Alout, Fiona Baudino, Cyrille Lebon, Yann Gomard, David A. Wilkinson, Toscane Fourié, Patrick Mavingui, Célestine Atyame. Vector competence of Aedes albopictus field populations from Reunion Island exposed to local epidemic dengue viruses. PLoS ONE, 19(9): e03110635. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310635.