The wMel strain of Wolbachia can reduce the permissiveness of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to disseminated arboviral infections. Here‚ we report that wMel-infected Ae. aegypti (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 wMel-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 wMel introgression for the biocontrol of Ae. aegypti-born arboviruses.
Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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