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Sustainable Development Goals
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- IOC - Artigos de Periódicos [12981]
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AGE-DEPENDENT EFFECTS OF ORAL INFECTION WITH DENGUE VIRUS ON AEDES AEGYPTI (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE) FEEDING BEHAVIOR, SURVIVAL, OVIPOSITION SUCCESS AND FECUNDITY
Affilliation
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Transmissores de Hematozoários. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Imunologia Viral. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Transmissores de Hematozoários. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Imunologia Viral. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Transmissores de Hematozoários. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Abstract
Background: Aedes aegypti is the main vector of dengue, a disease that is increasing its geographical range as well as
incidence rates. Despite its public health importance, the effect of dengue virus (DENV) on some mosquito traits remains
unknown. Here, we investigated the impact of DENV-2 infection on the feeding behavior, survival, oviposition success and
fecundity of Ae. aegypti females.
Methods/Principal Findings: After orally-challenging Ae. aegypti females with a DENV-2 strain using a membrane feeder, we
monitored the feeding behavior, survival, oviposition success and fecundity throughout the mosquito lifespan. We
observed an age-dependent cost of DENV infection on mosquito feeding behavior and fecundity. Infected individuals took
more time to ingest blood from anesthetized mice in the 2nd and 3rd weeks post-infection, and also longer overall bloodfeeding
times in the 3rd week post-infection, when females were around 20 days old. Often, infected Ae. aegypti females did
not lay eggs and when they were laid, smaller number of eggs were laid compared to uninfected controls. A reduction in
the number of eggs laid per female was evident starting on the 3rd week post-infection. DENV-2 negatively affected
mosquito lifespan, since overall the longevity of infected females was halved compared to that of the uninfected control
group.
Conclusions: The DENV-2 strain tested significantly affected Ae. aegypti traits directly correlated with vectorial capacity or
mosquito population density, such as feeding behavior, survival, fecundity and oviposition success. Infected mosquitoes
spent more time ingesting blood, had reduced lifespan, laid eggs less frequently, and when they did lay eggs, the clutches
were smaller than uninfected mosquitoes.
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