Can a mosquito Aedes aegypti carry two different viruses (e. g. dengue virus and yellow fever virus)? and, could also transmit two viruses to a human with one bite?
Hi León, Aedes aegypti is not only the vector of the two viruses you mentioned. A. aegypti can spread the dengue fever, Chikungunya and yellow fever viruses, and other diseases. I don't know if the can transmit more than one virus with one bite...? Cheers, Nadine
Hi Leon,thr r reports of presence of more than 1 serotype of dengue virus in the mosquito vector, but i am not much sure about the presence of two different viruses. Again if it can transmit 2 serotypes of dengue virus, it shud be able to transmit 2 different viruses as well in 1 bite!..:)
A. Aegyptii and other mosquitoes can of course carry two different flaviviruses. In fact overinfection with a second flavivirus is found quite often in nature. So theoretically at least, DENV and YFV could co-infect one A aegyptii individual at the same time. However, once in the mosquito body, progression of the infection of each of these viruses might affect the course of infection of the other. Different relationships can be possible: 1) mutual exclusion (a kind of competition) in which only one progresses, and the other fades away, 2) mutual enhancement, 3) no interaction at all The likelihood of a double infection being transmitted by a single bite depends on which type of interaction is established between both viruses in the mosquito body.
Hey thanks alot for the answers!
Miguel Jimenéz-Clavero, thanks for your answer is very informative.
You are welcome (De nada ;-) I hope it can be useful for you. In case you need more information I can provide some publications on viral co-infection in mosquitoes.
The current epidemiology of dengue and YF is differnt. Dengue is mainly transmitted by urban mosquitoes A aegypti, Ae albopictus; Currently YF is circulating in Africa in rural area with sylvatic mosquitoes as vector (Ae africanus, opok etc...) There is no large urban YF in africa involving Ae aegypti. Similar analysis for S america
In agreement with the accurate observation by J. Saluzzo, the likelihood of co-infection of YFV and DENV will depend upon the rate of circulation of the same viruses in the same area and mosquito populations, and given the current distribution of both pathogens, this is far from being likely. Also, even though both viruses were circulating in a given area, other factors would complicate this issue further. For instance, different mosquito species could behave differently at transmitting both diseases; transmission rates could also be affected by the relative abundances of different vector species with different competences; the presence of "endogenous" flaviviruses in the vector populations could affect replication of newly acquired flaviviruses, etc, etc.
But exist the likelihood of co-infection theoretically?
It could happen the co-infection if occur drastic changes like the search for new sylvatic territories or the climate change?
Thanks so much.
The real risk will be the introduction of YF in Asia and the co-circulation of Dengue and YF in large cities. This why intensive vaccination for YF in Africa is so important
Can a person be co-infected with both viruses? Probably in highly endemic areas. But it is unlikely event.
Isolation of two viruses in the same mosquito is possible. The infection of the host by both the viruses could be a speculation. The organisms do have the inherent ability to maintain themselves in cycles. For example if both the malaria parasites [p.vivax and P.falciparum] are prevalent in a place, the maintenance of their cycles differ. giving way to each other for survival. lalitha kabilan
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0303264711001353
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1567134813000804
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