Arbovirus infection in Aedes aegypti from different departments of Colombia

Abstract

The lack of precise and timely knowledge about the molecular epidemiology of arboviruses of public health importance, particularly in the vector, has limited the comprehensive control of arboviruses. In Colombia and the Americas, entomovirological studies are scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the frequency of natural infection and/or co-infection by Dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV), and Chikungunya (CHIKV) in Aedes spp. circulating in different departments of Colombia (Amazonas, Boyacá, Magdalena, and Vichada) and identifying vector species by barcoding. Aedes mosquitoes were collected in departments with reported prevalence or incidence of arbovirus cases during 2020-2021, located in different biogeographic zones of the country: Amazonas, Boyacá, Magdalena, and Vichada. The insects were processed individually for RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and subsequent detection of DENV (serotypes DENV1-4 by multiplex PCR), CHIKV, and ZIKV (qRT-PCR). The positive mosquitoes for arboviruses were sequenced (Sanger method) using the subunit I of the cytochrome oxidase (COI) gene for species-level identification. In total, 558 Aedes mosquitoes were captured, 28.1% (n = 157) predominantly infected by DENV in all departments. The serotypes with the highest frequency of infection were DENV-1 and DENV-2 with 10.7% (n = 58) and 14.5% (n = 81), respectively. Coinfections between serotypes represented 3.9% (n = 22). CHIKV infection Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 01 frontiersin.org Gómez et al. 10.3389/fevo.2022.999169was detected in one individual (0.2%), and ZIKV infections were not detected. All infected samples were identified as A. aegypti (100%). From the COI dataset (593 bp), high levels of haplotype diversity (H = 0.948 ± 0.012) and moderate nucleotide diversity (π = 0.0225 ± 0.003) were identified, suggesting recent population expansions. Constructed phylogenetic analyses showed our COI sequences' association with lineage I, which was reported widespread and related to a West African conspecific. We conclude that natural infection in A. aegypti by arbovirus might reflect the country's epidemiological behavior, with a higher incidence of serotypes DENV-1 and DENV-2, which may be associated with high seroprevalence and asymptomatic infections in humans. This study demonstrates the high susceptibility of this species to arbovirus infection and confirms that A. aegypti is the main vector in Colombia. The importance of including entomovirological surveillance strategy within public health systems to understand transmission dynamics and the potential risk to the population is highlighted herein.

Characterizing viral species in mosquitoes (Culicidae) in the Colombian Orinoco: insights from a preliminary metagenomic study

“…Colombia, a world-renowned megadiverse nation, has a rich variety of mosquito species 33 .This diversity, coupled with the diversity of ecosystems, creates favorable conditions in approximately 85% of the country for the migration, adaptation, and proliferation of mosquitoes, which contributes to the increased prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases in the country 34 – 36 . The high richness of mosquitoes in different regions of the country is probably associated with landscape modifications, deforestation and changes in temperature 8 , 34 favoring the proximity of wildlife vectors to humans, which increases the risk of transmission of known and emerging zoonotic arboviruses 37 , 38 .…”

“…The high richness of mosquitoes in different regions of the country is probably associated with landscape modifications, deforestation and changes in temperature 8 , 34 favoring the proximity of wildlife vectors to humans, which increases the risk of transmission of known and emerging zoonotic arboviruses 37 , 38 . In the country, entomovirological surveillance efforts have focused mainly on viral species of public health importance 36 , 38 , especially in urban centers, while exploration of other viral species remains limited. In addition, a considerable portion of the viral composition in vectors and other insects associated with the family Culicidae remains unknown, highlighting the need for comprehensive research and studies in this field 34 .…”

“…The Colombian Orinoco region, commonly known as the Eastern Plains, holds significant strategic importance owing to its exceptional biodiversity and extensive water resources. Despite documented cases of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever infections, this area has been relatively underexplored from an entomovirological perspective 35 , 36 . Rural areas in this region have experienced minimal human interference, with limited anthropogenic disturbance.…”