Extensive variation and strain-specificity in dengue virus susceptibility among AfricanAedes aegyptipopulations

Abstract

AbstractAfrican populations of the mosquitoAedes aegyptiare usually considered less susceptible to infection by human-pathogenic flaviviruses than globally invasive populations found outside Africa. Although this contrast has been well documented for Zika virus (ZIKV), it is unclear to what extent it is true for dengue virus (DENV), the most prevalent flavivirus of humans. Addressing this question is complicated by substantial genetic diversity among DENV strains, most notably in the form of four genetic types (DENV1 to DENV4), that can lead to genetically specific interactions with mosquito populations. Here, we carried out a continent-wide survey of DENV susceptibility using a panel of field-derivedAe. aegypticolonies from across the African range of the species and a colony from Guadeloupe, French West Indies as non-African reference. We found considerable variation in the ability of AfricanAe. aegyptipopulations to acquire and replicate a panel of six DENV strains spanning the four DENV types. Although AfricanAe. aegyptipopulations were generally less susceptible than the reference non-African population from Guadeloupe, in several instances some African populations were equally or more susceptible than the Guadeloupe population. Moreover, the relative level of susceptibility between African mosquito populations depended on the DENV strain, indicating genetically specific interactions. We conclude that unlike ZIKV susceptibility, there is no clear-cut dichotomy in DENV susceptibility between African and non-AfricanAe. aegypti. DENV susceptibility of AfricanAe. aegyptipopulations is highly heterogeneous and largely governed by the specific pairing of mosquito population and DENV strain.Author summaryAfrican populations of the mosquitoAedes aegyptiare usually thought to be less likely to get infected by flaviviruses compared toAe. aegyptimosquitoes found outside Africa. While this has been well-demonstrated for Zika virus, it is not clear if the same is true for dengue virus, which is the most common flavivirus in humans. Studying this is complicated by the strain diversity of dengue virus, including four main genetic types, potentially causing different interactions. In this study, we compared several mosquito populations and found that, in general, African mosquitoes were less likely to get infected by dengue virus compared to mosquitoes from outside Africa. However, in some cases, African mosquitoes were just as or even more likely to get infected. The specific strain of dengue virus also influenced how likely African mosquitoes were to get infected, showing that the relationship between African mosquitoes and dengue virus is complex.