bims-mosdis Biomed News
on Mosquito distribution and disease
Issue of 2023–04–02
fiveteen papers selected by
Richard Halfpenny, Staffordshire University
  1. Influence of mosquito-borne biological agents on health risks among soldiers and military personnel.
  2. Biology and Behaviour of Aedes aegypti in the Human Environment: Opportunities for Vector Control of Arbovirus Transmission.
  3. Does arbovirus emergence in humans require adaptation to domestic mosquitoes?
  4. Vector Competence of Northern European Culex pipiens Biotype pipiens and Culex torrentium to West Nile Virus and Sindbis Virus.
  5. MOSQUITO FAUNA IN THE MANGROVES OF YUCATAN, MEXICO, AND IDENTIFICATION OF ALPHAVIRUS RNA.
  6. First Detection and Molecular Characterization of Usutu Virus in Culex pipiens Mosquitoes Collected in Romania.
  7. Role of the Microbiome in Aedes spp. Vector Competence: What Do We Know?
  8. Host Feeding Patterns of Mansonia (Diptera, Culicidae) in Rural Settlements near Porto Velho, State of Rondonia, Brazil.
  9. Vector Competence for Zika Virus Changes Depending on the Aedes aegypti's Region of Origin in Manaus: A Study of an Endemic Brazilian Amazonian City.
  10. Spatiotemporal overlapping of dengue, chikungunya, and malaria infections in children in Kenya.
  11. Zika, Flavivirus and Malaria Antibody Cocirculation in Nigeria.
  12. Investigation of Dengue Infection in Asymptomatic Individuals during a Recent Outbreak in La Réunion.
  13. Global Distribution of Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Impact Factors.
  14. Yellow Fever Virus Maintained by Sabethes Mosquitoes during the Dry Season in Cerrado, a Semiarid Region of Brazil, in 2021.
  15. Dengue and chikungunya cases surge as climate change spreads arboviral diseases to new regions.
  1. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2023 Mar 31. pii: 155003. [Epub ahead of print]30(1): 2-8
    Influence of mosquito-borne biological agents on health risks among soldiers and military personnel.
    Ewa Gajda, Łukasz Krzowski, Krzysztof Kowalczuk, Agata Pabin, Ewelina Maculewicz.
       INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Mosquitoes are the most important vector group for humans, and three genera - Aedes, Anopheles and Culex, are of greatest significance in the transmission of pathogens to humans and animals. The geographical expansion of vectors can lead to the spread diseases into new regions. Soldiers exercise in the field, participate in missions, or are stationed in Military Contingents located in different climatic conditions, which is directly related to exposure to mosquitoborne diseases.
    OBJECTIVE: The aim is to describe the role of mosquitoes in the transmission of selected pathogens of medical and epidemiological importance, which pose a new threat in Europe, pointing to soldiers and other military personnel as particularly vulnerable occupational groups.
    REVIEW METHODS: PubMed and other online resources and publications were searched to evaluate scientific relevance.
    BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE.: In recent years in Europe, attention has been drawn to emerging infectious diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, including malaria, Dengue fever, West Nile fever and Chikungunya fever. West Nile virus infections were recorded in many European countries, including Greece, Italy, Germany and Austria. Soldiers, due to their tasks, are particularly vulnerable to vector-borne diseases. In order to reduce the exposure of soldiers to mosquito-borne diseases various protection measures are used.
    SUMMARY: Some of vector-borne diseases belong to emerging infectious diseases and may pose a threat to public health. The burden on soldiers with these diseases can be significant, which is the reason why methods of surveillance and the control of vectors are being developed.
    Keywords:  military; mosquitoes; pathogens; soldiers; vector-borne diseases
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.26444/aaem/155003
  2. Viruses. 2023 Feb 27. pii: 636. [Epub ahead of print]15(3):
    Biology and Behaviour of Aedes aegypti in the Human Environment: Opportunities for Vector Control of Arbovirus Transmission.
    Luca Facchinelli, Athanase Badolo, Philip J McCall.
      Aedes aegypti is a ubiquitous vector of arboviruses mostly in urbanised areas throughout the tropics and subtropics and a growing threat beyond. Control of Ae. aegypti is difficult and costly, and no vaccines are available for most of the viruses it transmits. With practical control solutions our goal, ideally suitable for delivery by householders in affected communities, we reviewed the literature on adult Ae. aegypti biology and behaviour, within and close to the human home, the arena where such interventions must impact. We found that knowledge was vague or important details were missing for multiple events or activities in the mosquito life cycle, such as the duration or location of the many periods when females rest between blood feeding and oviposition. The existing body of literature, though substantial, is not wholly reliable, and evidence for commonly held "facts" range from untraceable to extensive. Source references of some basic information are poor or date back more than 60 years, while other information that today is accepted widely as "fact" is not supported by evidence in the literature. Many topics, e.g., sugar feeding, resting preferences (location and duration), and blood feeding, merit being revisited in new geographical regions and ecological contexts to identify vulnerabilities for exploitation in control.
    Keywords:  Aedes aegypti; arboviruses; domestic and peridomestic behaviour; endophily; exophagy; indoor residual spraying; insecticide; targeting; vector control
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/v15030636
  3. Curr Opin Virol. 2023 Mar 28. pii: S1879-6257(23)00015-9. [Epub ahead of print]60 101315
    Does arbovirus emergence in humans require adaptation to domestic mosquitoes?
    Louis Lambrechts.
      In the last few decades, several mosquito-borne arboviruses of zoonotic origin have established large-scale epidemic transmission cycles in the human population. It is often considered that arbovirus emergence is driven by adaptive evolution, such as virus adaptation for transmission by 'domestic' mosquito vector species that live in close association with humans. Here, I argue that although arbovirus adaptation to domestic mosquito vectors has been observed for several emerging arboviruses, it was generally not directly responsible for their initial emergence. Secondary adaptation to domestic mosquitoes often amplified epidemic transmission, however, this was more likely a consequence than a cause of arbovirus emergence. Considering that emerging arboviruses are generally 'preadapted' for transmission by domestic mosquito vectors may help to enhance preparedness toward future arbovirus emergence events.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coviro.2023.101315
  4. Viruses. 2023 Feb 21. pii: 592. [Epub ahead of print]15(3):
    Vector Competence of Northern European Culex pipiens Biotype pipiens and Culex torrentium to West Nile Virus and Sindbis Virus.
    Stephanie Jansen, Anna Heitmann, Ruut Uusitalo, Essi M Korhonen, Renke Lühken, Konstantin Kliemke, Unchana Lange, Michelle Helms, Lauri Kirjalainen, Roope Nykänen, Hilppa Gregow, Pentti Pirinen, Giada Rossini, Olli Vapalahti, Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit, Eili Huhtamo.
      The West Nile Virus (WNV) and Sindbis virus (SINV) are avian-hosted mosquito-borne zoonotic viruses that co-circulate in some geographical areas and share vector species such as Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium. These are widespread in Europe, including northern parts and Finland, where SINV is endemic, but WNV is currently not. As WNV is spreading northwards in Europe, we wanted to assess the experimental vector competence of Finnish Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium mosquitoes to WNV and SINV in different temperature profiles. Both mosquito species were found susceptible to both viruses and got infected via infectious blood meal at a mean temperature of 18 °C. WNV-positive saliva was detected at a mean temperature of 24 °C, whereas SINV-positive saliva was detected already at a mean temperature of 18 °C. Cx. torrentium was found to be a more efficient vector for WNV and SINV over Cx. pipiens. Overall, the results were in line with the previous studies performed with more southern vector populations. The current climate does not seem optimal for WNV circulation in Finland, but temporary summertime transmission could occur in the future if all other essential factors are in place. More field data would be needed for monitoring and understanding the northward spreading of WNV in Europe.
    Keywords:  Culex pipiens; Culex torrentium; Finland; Sindbis virus; West Nile virus; vector-competence
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/v15030592
  5. J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 2023 Mar 27.
    MOSQUITO FAUNA IN THE MANGROVES OF YUCATAN, MEXICO, AND IDENTIFICATION OF ALPHAVIRUS RNA.
    Julian E Garcia-Rejon, Julio C Tzuc-Dzul, Karen Y Lopez-Carrillo, Nohemi Cigarroa-Toledo, Rosa C Cetina-Trejo, Wilbert A Chi-Chim, Lourdes G Talavera-Aguilar, Laura I Lopez-Apodaca, Carlos M Baak-Baak.
      The surveillance of arboviruses in mangrove mosquitoes is a neglected topic in Mexico. The Yucatan State is part of a peninsula and, therefore, is rich in mangroves along its coast. The purpose of the study was to identify alphavirus in the mosquito fauna of mangroves. Mosquitoes were captured in mangrove settings in seven communities in Yucatan between June 2019 and August 2021. From 1900 to 2200 h and from 0500 to 0800 h, mosquitoes were captured with a backpack-mounted aspirator. In total, 3,167 female mosquitoes of five genera and nine species were captured. Aedes taeniorhynchus and Anopheles crucians were the most abundant mosquitoes collected. Mosquitoes were sorted into 210 pools and tested by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for alphavirus ribonucleic acid (RNA). Alphavirus RNA was found in Ae. taeniorhynchus, An. pseudopunctipennis, and An. crucians collected in the Celestun Mangrove. The community is part of the Ria Celestun Biosphere Reserve, and the presence arbovirus-infected mosquitoes could pose a health risk to residents and visitors alike in the area.
    Keywords:   Aedes ; Anopheles ; Mexico; arbovirus; coastal areas
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.2987/22-7102
  6. Microorganisms. 2023 Mar 07. pii: 684. [Epub ahead of print]11(3):
    First Detection and Molecular Characterization of Usutu Virus in Culex pipiens Mosquitoes Collected in Romania.
    Florian Liviu Prioteasa, Sorin Dinu, Georgiana Victorița Tiron, Ioana Georgeta Stancu, Elena Fălcuță, Cornelia Svetlana Ceianu, Ani Ioana Cotar.
      Usutu virus (USUV) is an emergent arbovirus in Europe causing mortality in bird populations. Similar to West Nile virus (WNV), USUV is maintained in sylvatic cycles between mosquito vectors and bird reservoirs. Spillover events may result in human neurological infection cases. Apart from indirect evidence provided by a recent serological study in wild birds, the circulation of USUV in Romania was not assessed. We aimed to detect and molecular characterize USUV circulating in mosquito vectors collected in South-Eastern Romania-a well-known WNV endemic region-during four transmission seasons. Mosquitoes were collected from Bucharest metropolitan area and Danube Delta, pooled, and screened by real-time RT-PCR for USUV. Partial genomic sequences were obtained and used for phylogeny. USUV was detected in Culex pipiens s.l. female mosquitoes collected in Bucharest, in 2019. The virus belonged to Europe 2 lineage, sub-lineage EU2-A. Phylogenetic analysis revealed high similarity with isolates infecting mosquito vectors, birds, and humans in Europe starting with 2009, all sharing common origin in Northern Italy. To our knowledge, this is the first study characterizing a strain of USUV circulating in Romania.
    Keywords:  BG-Sentinel trap; CDC gravid trap; CDC light trap; Culex pipiens mosquitoes; Europe 2 lineage; Romania; Usutu virus; phylogenetic analysis
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11030684
  7. Viruses. 2023 Mar 17. pii: 779. [Epub ahead of print]15(3):
    Role of the Microbiome in Aedes spp. Vector Competence: What Do We Know?
    Qesya Rodrigues Ferreira, Fabian Fellipe Bueno Lemos, Matheus Nascimento Moura, Jéssica Oliveira de Souza Nascimento, Ana Flávia Novaes, Isadora Souza Barcelos, Larissa Alves Fernandes, Liliany Souza de Brito Amaral, Fernanda Khouri Barreto, Fabrício Freire de Melo.
      Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are the vectors of important arboviruses: dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. Female mosquitoes acquire arboviruses by feeding on the infected host blood, thus being able to transmit it to their offspring. The intrinsic ability of a vector to infect itself and transmit a pathogen is known as vector competence. Several factors influence the susceptibility of these females to be infected by these arboviruses, such as the activation of the innate immune system through the Toll, immunodeficiency (Imd), JAK-STAT pathways, and the interference of specific antiviral response pathways of RNAi. It is also believed that the presence of non-pathogenic microorganisms in the microbiota of these arthropods could influence this immune response, as it provides a baseline activation of the innate immune system, which may generate resistance against arboviruses. In addition, this microbiome has direct action against arboviruses, mainly due to the ability of Wolbachia spp. to block viral genome replication, added to the competition for resources within the mosquito organism. Despite major advances in the area, studies are still needed to evaluate the microbiota profiles of Aedes spp. and their vector competence, as well as further exploration of the individual roles of microbiome components in activating the innate immune system.
    Keywords:  Aedes; arboviruses; microbiota; mosquito vectors; vector borne diseases; vector competence
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/v15030779
  8. Biomolecules. 2023 03 17. pii: 553. [Epub ahead of print]13(3):
    Host Feeding Patterns of Mansonia (Diptera, Culicidae) in Rural Settlements near Porto Velho, State of Rondonia, Brazil.
    Diego Peres Alonso, Jandui Almeida Amorim, Tatiane Marques Porangaba de Oliveira, Ivy Luizi Rodrigues de Sá, Fábio Sossai Possebon, Dario Pires de Carvalho, Kaio Augusto Nabas Ribeiro, Paulo Eduardo Martins Ribolla, Maria Anice Mureb Sallum.
      Mosquito females of the genus Mansonia (Blanchard) can be a nuisance to humans and animals since they are voraciously hematophagous and feed on the blood of a variety of vertebrates. Despite their relevance, there is a lack of investigation into the blood-feeding patterns of the Mansonia species. Knowledge of the host preference is crucial in establishing the public health importance of a mosquito species and its potential to be involved in the transmission dynamics of pathogens. Species that are primarily anthropophilic can be more effective in spreading vector-borne pathogens to humans. In this study, we used an Illumina Nextera sequencing protocol and the QIIME2 workflow to assess the diversity of DNA sequences extracted in the ingested blood of mosquito species to evaluate the overall and local host choices for three species: Ma. titillans, Ma. Amazonensis, and Ma. humeralis, in rural areas alongside the Madeira River in the vicinities of the Santo Antonio Energia (SAE) reservoir in the municipality of Porto Velho, Rondônia, Western Brazil. By performing our analysis pipeline, we have found that host diversity per collection site showed a significant heterogeneity across the sample sites. In addition, in rural areas, Ma. amazonensis present a high affinity for B. taurus, Ma. humeralis shows an overall preference for C. familiaris and B. taurus, but also H. sapiens and E. caballus in urban areas, and Ma. titillans showed more opportunistic behavior in rural areas, feeding on wild animals and G. gallus, though with an overall preference for H. sapiens.
    Keywords:  Mansonia spp.; NGS; biting activity; blood source
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13030553
  9. Viruses. 2023 Mar 17. pii: 770. [Epub ahead of print]15(3):
    Vector Competence for Zika Virus Changes Depending on the Aedes aegypti's Region of Origin in Manaus: A Study of an Endemic Brazilian Amazonian City.
    Andréia da Costa Paz, Bárbara Aparecida Chaves, Raquel Soares Maia Godoy, Deilane Ferreira Coelho, Ademir Bentes Vieira Júnior, Rodrigo Maciel Alencar, João Arthur Alcântara, Luiza Dos Santos Félix, Cinthia Catharina Azevedo Oliveira, Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro, Marcus Vinicius Guimarães Lacerda, Nágila Francinete Costa Secundino, Paulo Filemon Paolucci Pimenta.
      Zika virus (ZIKV) is transmitted to humans by the infectious bite of mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti. In a city, the population control of mosquitoes is carried out according to alerts generated by different districts via the analysis of the mosquito index. However, we do not know whether, besides mosquito abundance, the susceptibility of mosquitoes could also diverge among districts and thus impact the dissemination and transmission of arboviruses. After a viremic blood meal, the virus must infect the midgut, disseminate to tissues, and reach the salivary gland to be transmitted to a vertebrate host. This study evaluated the patterns of ZIKV infection in the Ae. aegypti field populations of a city. The disseminated infection rate, viral transmission rate, and transmission efficiency were measured using quantitative PCR at 14 days post-infection. The results showed that all Ae. aegypti populations had individuals susceptible to ZIKV infection and able to transmit the virus. The infection parameters showed that the geographical area of origin of the Ae. aegypti influences its vector competence for ZIKV transmission.
    Keywords:  Zika virus; disseminated infection rate; field mosquito population; infection rate; transmission efficiency; vector competence
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/v15030770
  10. BMC Infect Dis. 2023 Mar 29. 23(1): 183
    Spatiotemporal overlapping of dengue, chikungunya, and malaria infections in children in Kenya.
    Aslam Khan, Donal Bisanzio, Francis Mutuku, Bryson Ndenga, Elysse N Grossi-Soyster, Zainab Jembe, Priscilla W Maina, Philip K Chebii, Charles O Ronga, Victoria Okuta, A Desiree LaBeaud.
      Malaria, chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and dengue virus (DENV) are endemic causes of fever among children in Kenya. The risks of infection are multifactorial and may be influenced by built and social environments. The high resolution overlapping of these diseases and factors affecting their spatial heterogeneity has not been investigated in Kenya. From 2014-2018, we prospectively followed a cohort of children from four communities in both coastal and western Kenya. Overall, 9.8% were CHIKV seropositive, 5.5% were DENV seropositive, and 39.1% were malaria positive (3521 children tested). The spatial analysis identified hot-spots for all three diseases in each site and in multiple years. The results of the model showed that the risk of exposure was linked to demographics with common factors for the three diseases including the presence of litter, crowded households, and higher wealth in these communities. These insights are of high importance to improve surveillance and targeted control of mosquito-borne diseases in Kenya.
    Keywords:  Chikungunya virus; Children; Dengue virus; Kenya; Malaria
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-023-08157-4
  11. Trop Med Infect Dis. 2023 Mar 14. pii: 171. [Epub ahead of print]8(3):
    Zika, Flavivirus and Malaria Antibody Cocirculation in Nigeria.
    Peter Asaga Mac, Axel Kroeger, Theo Daehne, Chukwuma Anyaike, Raman Velayudhan, Marcus Panning.
      Introduction. Arboviruses and malaria pose a growing threat to public health, affecting not only the general population but also immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women. Individuals in vulnerable groups are at a higher risk of severe complications from the co-circulation and transmission of ZIKV, malaria, and FLAVI fever. In sub-Saharan countries, such as Nigeria, these mosquito-borne infections have clinical presentations that overlap with other diseases (dengue, West Nile virus, and Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya, and O'nyong o'nyong virus), making them a diagnostic challenge for clinicians in regions where they co-circulate. Vertical transmission can have a devastating impact on maternal health and fetal outcomes, including an increased risk of fetal loss and premature birth. Despite the global recognition of the burden of malaria and arboviruses, particularly ZIKV and other flaviviruses, there is limited data on their prevalence in Nigeria. In urban settings, where these diseases are endemic and share common biological, ecological, and economic factors, they may impact treatment outcomes and lead to epidemiological synergy. Hence, it is imperative to conduct sero-epidemiological and clinical studies to better understand the disease burden and hidden endemicity, thereby enabling improved prevention and clinical management. Method. Serum samples collected from outpatients between December 2020 and November 2021 in three regions of Nigeria were tested for the presence of IgG antibody seropositivity against ZIKV and FLAVI using immunoblot serological assay. Results. The overall cohort co-circulation antibody seropositivity of ZIKV, FLAVI and malaria was 24.0% (209/871). A total of 19.2% (167/871) of the study participants had ZIKV-seropositive antibodies and 6.2% (54/871) were FLAVI-seropositive, while 40.0% (348/871) of the subjects had malaria parasite antigens. Regional analysis revealed that participants from the southern region had the highest antibody seropositivity against ZIKV (21.7% (33/152)) and FLAVI (8.6% (13/152)), whereas those from the central region had a higher malaria parasite antigen (68.5% (287/419)). Conclusions. This study represents the largest comparative cross-sectional descriptive sero-epidemiological investigation of ZIKV-FLAVI and malaria cocirculation in Nigeria. The findings of this study revealed increased antibody seropositivity, hidden endemicity, and the burden of ZIKV, FLAVI, and malaria co-circulating in Nigeria.
    Keywords:  IgG; Zika; co-circulation; flavivirus; malaria parasite; sero-epidemiology
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8030171
  12. Viruses. 2023 Mar 14. pii: 742. [Epub ahead of print]15(3):
    Investigation of Dengue Infection in Asymptomatic Individuals during a Recent Outbreak in La Réunion.
    Olga De Santis, Emilie Pothin, Nicolas Bouscaren, Seth R Irish, Marie-Christine Jaffar-Bandjee, Luce Menudier, Julie Ramis, Cédric Schultz, Florence Lamaurt, Ania Wisniak, Antoine Bertolotti, Sarah Hafsia, Philippe Dussart, Laurence Baril, Patrick Mavingui, Antoine Flahault.
      The number of dengue cases has increased dramatically over the past 20 years and is an important concern, particularly as the trends toward urbanization continue. While the majority of dengue cases are thought to be asymptomatic, it is unknown to what extent these contribute to transmission. A better understanding of their importance would help to guide control efforts. In 2019, a dengue outbreak in La Reunion resulted in more than 18,000 confirmed cases. Between October 2019 and August 2020, 19 clusters were investigated in the south, west, and east of the island, enabling the recruitment of 605 participants from 368 households within a 200 m radius of the home of the index cases (ICs). No active asymptomatic infections confirmed by RT-PCR were detected. Only 15% were possible asymptomatic dengue infections detected by the presence of anti-dengue IgM antibodies. Only 5.3% of the participants had a recent dengue infection confirmed by RT-PCR. Although the resurgence of dengue in La Réunion is very recent (2016), the rate of anti-dengue IgG positivity, a marker of past infections, was already high at 43% in this study. Dengue transmission was focal in time and space, as most cases were detected within a 100-m radius of the ICs, and within a time interval of less than 7 days between infections detected in a same cluster. No particular demographic or socio-cultural characteristics were associated with dengue infections. On the other hand, environmental risk factors such as type of housing or presence of rubbish in the streets were associated with dengue infections.
    Keywords:  La Réunion; asymptomatic infections; cluster study; dengue; dengue outbreak
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/v15030742
  13. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Mar 07. pii: 4701. [Epub ahead of print]20(6):
    Global Distribution of Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Impact Factors.
    Yixin Tong, Honglin Jiang, Ning Xu, Zhengzhong Wang, Ying Xiong, Jiangfan Yin, Junhui Huang, Yue Chen, Qingwu Jiang, Yibiao Zhou.
      Culex tritaeniorhynchus is the primary vector of Japanese encephalitis (JE) and has a wide global distribution. However, the current and future geographic distribution maps of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in global are still incomplete. Our study aims to predict the potential distribution of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in current and future conditions to provide a guideline for the formation and implementation of vector control strategies all over the world. We collected and screened the information on the occurrence of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus by searching the literature and online databases and used ten algorithms to investigate its global distribution and impact factors. Cx. tritaeniorhynchus had been detected in 41 countries from 5 continents. The final ensemble model (TSS = 0.864 and AUC = 0.982) indicated that human footprint was the most important factor for the occurrence of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus. The tropics and subtropics, including southeastern Asia, Central Africa, southeastern North America and eastern South America, showed high habitat suitability for Cx. tritaeniorhynchus. Cx. tritaeniorhynchus is predicted to have a wider distribution in all the continents, especially in Western Europe and South America in the future under two extreme emission scenarios (SSP5-8.5 and SSP1-2.6). Targeted strategies for the control and prevention of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus should be further strengthened.
    Keywords:  Culex tritaeniorhynchus; climate change; extension; global distribution; habitat suitability; impact factors; species distribution models
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064701
  14. Viruses. 2023 Mar 15. pii: 757. [Epub ahead of print]15(3):
    Yellow Fever Virus Maintained by Sabethes Mosquitoes during the Dry Season in Cerrado, a Semiarid Region of Brazil, in 2021.
    Cirilo H de Oliveira, Miguel S Andrade, Fabrício S Campos, Jader da C Cardoso, Maria Eduarda Gonçalves-Dos-Santos, Ramon Silva Oliveira, Sandy Micaele Aquino-Teixeira, Aline As Campos, Marco Ab Almeida, Danilo Simonini-Teixeira, Anaiá da P Sevá, Andrea Oliveira Dias Temponi, Fernando Maria Magalhães, Agna Soares da Silva Menezes, Bartolomeu Teixeira Lopes, Hermes P Almeida, Ana Lúcia Pedroso, Giovani Pontel Gonçalves, Danielle Costa Capistrano Chaves, Givaldo Gomes de Menezes, Sofía Bernal-Valle, Nicolas Fd Müller, Luis Janssen, Edmilson Dos Santos, Maria A Mares-Guia, George R Albuquerque, Alessandro Pm Romano, Ana C Franco, Bergmann M Ribeiro, Paulo M Roehe, Ricardo Lourenço-de-Oliveira, Filipe Vieira Santos de Abreu.
      In recent decades, waves of yellow fever virus (YFV) from the Amazon Rainforest have spread and caused outbreaks in other regions of Brazil, including the Cerrado, a savannah-like biome through which YFV usually moves before arriving at the Atlantic Forest. To identify the vectors involved in the maintenance of the virus in semiarid environments, an entomological survey was conducted after confirmation of yellow fever (YF) epizootics at the peak of the dry season in the Cerrado areas of the state of Minas Gerais. In total, 917 mosquitoes from 13 taxa were collected and tested for the presence of YFV. Interestingly, mosquitoes of the Sabethes genus represented 95% of the diurnal captured specimens, displaying a peak of biting activity never previously recorded, between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. Molecular analysis identified three YFV-positive pools, two from Sabethes chloropterus-from which near-complete genomes were generated-and one from Sa. albiprivus, whose low viral load prevented sequencing. Sa. chloropterus was considered the primary vector due to the high number of copies of YFV RNA and the high relative abundance detected. Its bionomic characteristics allow its survival in dry places and dry time periods. For the first time in Brazil, Sa. albiprivus was found to be naturally infected with YFV and may have played a role as a secondary vector. Despite its high relative abundance, fewer copies of viral RNA were found, as well as a lower Minimum Infection Rate (MIR). Genomic and phylogeographic analysis showed that the virus clustered in the sub-lineage YFVPA-MG, which circulated in Pará in 2017 and then spread into other regions of the country. The results reported here contribute to the understanding of the epidemiology and mechanisms of YFV dispersion and maintenance, especially in adverse weather conditions. The intense viral circulation, even outside the seasonal period, increases the importance of surveillance and YFV vaccination to protect human populations in affected areas.
    Keywords:  Arbovirus; Cerrado; MinION; Sabethini; genomic surveillance; mosquito vector
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/v15030757
  15. BMJ. 2023 03 27. 380 717
    Dengue and chikungunya cases surge as climate change spreads arboviral diseases to new regions.
    Luke Taylor.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.p717
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