Field- and clinically derived estimates of Wolbachia-mediated blocking of dengue virus transmission potential in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes
Carrington LB., Tran BCN., Le NTH., Luong TTH., Nguyen TT., Nguyen PT., Nguyen CVV., Nguyen HTC., Vu TT., Vo LT., Le DT., Vu NT., Nguyen GT., Luu HQ., Dang AD., Hurst TP., O’Neill SL., Tran VT., Kien DTH., Nguyen NM., Wolbers M., Wills B., Simmons CP.
<jats:p>The <jats:italic>w</jats:italic>Mel strain of <jats:italic>Wolbachia</jats:italic> can reduce the permissiveness of <jats:italic>Aedes aegypti</jats:italic> mosquitoes to disseminated arboviral infections. Here, we report that <jats:italic>w</jats:italic>Mel-infected <jats:italic>Ae. aegypti</jats:italic> (Ho Chi Minh City background), when directly blood-fed on 141 viremic dengue patients, have lower dengue virus (DENV) transmission potential and have a longer extrinsic incubation period than their wild-type counterparts. The <jats:italic>w</jats:italic>Mel-infected mosquitoes that are field-reared have even greater relative resistance to DENV infection when fed on patient-derived viremic blood meals. This is explained by an increased susceptibility of field-reared wild-type mosquitoes to infection than laboratory-reared counterparts. Collectively, these field- and clinically relevant findings support the continued careful field-testing of <jats:italic>w</jats:italic>Mel introgression for the biocontrol of <jats:italic>Ae. aegypti</jats:italic>-born arboviruses.</jats:p>