Modeling the impact on virus transmission of Wolbachia-mediated blocking of dengue virus infection of Aedes aegypti.

ABSTRACT: Dengue is the most common arboviral infection of humans and is a public health burden in more than 100 countries. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes stably infected with strains of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia are resistant to dengue virus (DENV) infection and are being tested in field trials. To mimic field conditions, we experimentally assessed the vector competence of A. aegypti carrying the Wolbachia strains wMel and wMelPop after challenge with viremic blood from dengue patients. We found that wMelPop conferred strong resistance to DENV infection of mosquito abdomen tissue and largely prevented disseminated infection. wMel conferred less resistance to infection of mosquito abdomen tissue, but it did reduce the prevalence of mosquitoes with infectious saliva. A mathematical model of DEN

SUBMITTER: Ferguson NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4390297 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature