Bunyamwera Virus Infection of -Carrying Mosquitoes Reduces Density.

symbionts introduced into mosquitoes provide a highly effective dengue virus transmission control strategy, increasingly utilised in many countries in an attempt to reduce disease burden. Whilst highly effective against dengue and other positive-sense RNA viruses, it remains unclear how effective is against negative-sense RNA viruses. Therefore, the effect of on Bunyamwera virus (BUNV) infection in was investigated using Mel and AlbB, two strains currently used in releases for dengue control, as well as Au, a strain that typically persists at a high density and is an extremely efficient blocker of positive-sense viruses.

Wolbachia confers protection against the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium pingshaense in African Aedes aegypti.

Symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi represent promising alternatives to chemical insecticides to respond to the rapid increase of insecticide resistance and vector-borne disease outbreaks. This study investigated the interaction of two strains of Wolbachia, wAlbB and wAu, with the natural entomopathogenic fungi from Burkina Faso Metarhizium pingshaense, known to be lethal against Anopheles mosquitoes. In addition to showing the potential of Metarhizium against African Aedes aegypti wild-type populations, our study shows that the wAlbB and wAu provide a protective advantage against entomopathogenic fungal infections.

Evaluation of an Engineered Zika Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Candidate in a Mosquito-Mouse Transmission Model.

The primary route of Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission is through the bite of an infected mosquito, when it probes the skin of a vertebrate host during a blood meal. Viral particles are injected into the bite site together with mosquito saliva and a complex mixture of other components. Some of them are known to play a key role in the augmentation of the arbovirus infection in the host, with increased viremia and/or morbidity.

Genomic and Phenotypic Comparisons Reveal Distinct Variants of Strain AlbB.

The intracellular bacterium inhibits virus replication and is being harnessed around the world to fight mosquito-borne diseases through releases of mosquitoes carrying the symbiont. strains vary in their ability to invade mosquito populations and suppress viruses in part due to differences in their density within the insect and associated fitness costs. Using whole-genome sequencing, we demonstrate the existence of two variants in AlbB, a strain being released in natural populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Genome sequencing and comparative analysis of Wolbachia strain wAlbA reveals Wolbachia-associated plasmids are common.

Wolbachia are widespread maternally-transmitted bacteria of arthropods that often spread by manipulating their host's reproduction through cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Their invasive potential is currently being harnessed in field trials aiming to control mosquito-borne diseases. Wolbachia genomes commonly harbour prophage regions encoding the cif genes which confer their ability to induce CI.

High Temperature Cycles Result in Maternal Transmission and Dengue Infection Differences Between Strains in Aedes aegypti.

Environmental factors play a crucial role in the population dynamics of arthropod endosymbionts, and therefore in the deployment of symbionts for the control of dengue arboviruses. The potential of to invade, persist, and block virus transmission depends in part on its intracellular density. Several recent studies have highlighted the importance of larval rearing temperature in modulating densities in adults, suggesting that elevated temperatures can severely impact some strains, while having little effect on others.

Wolbachia strain wAu efficiently blocks arbovirus transmission in Aedes albopictus.

The global incidence of arboviral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, including dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika, has increased dramatically in recent decades. The release of Aedes aegypti carrying the maternally inherited symbiont Wolbachia as an intervention to control arboviruses is being trialled in several countries. However, these efforts are compromised in many endemic regions due to the co-localization of the secondary vector Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito.