Enhanced Zika virus susceptibility of globally invasive Aedes aegypti populations

Fabien Aubry, Stéphanie Dabo, Caroline Manet, Igor Filipović, Noah H. Rose, Elliott F. Miot, Daria Martynow, Artem Baidaliuk, Sarah H. Merkling, Laura B. Dickson, Anna B. Crist, Victor O. Anyango, Claudia M. Romero-Vivas, Anubis Vega-Rúa, Isabelle Dusfour, Davy Jiolle, Christophe Paupy, Martin N. Mayanja, Julius J. Lutwama, Alain KohlVeasna Duong, Alongkot Ponlawat, Massamba Sylla, Jewelna Akorli, Sampson Otoo, Joel Lutomiah, Rosemary Sang, John Paul Mutebi, Van Mai Cao-Lormeau, Richard G. Jarman, Cheikh T. Diagne, Oumar Faye, Ousmane Faye, Amadou A. Sall, Carolyn S. McBride, Xavier Montagutelli, Gordana Rašić, Louis Lambrechts

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

48 Scopus citations

Abstract

The drivers and patterns of zoonotic virus emergence in the human population are poorly understood. The mosquito Aedes aegypti is a major arbovirus vector native to Africa that invaded most of the world’s tropical belt over the past four centuries, after the evolution of a “domestic” form that specialized in biting humans and breeding in water storage containers. Here, we show that human specialization and subsequent spread of A. aegypti out of Africa were accompanied by an increase in its intrinsic ability to acquire and transmit the emerging human pathogen Zika virus. Thus, the recent evolution and global expansion of A. aegypti promoted arbovirus emergence not solely through increased vector–host contact but also as a result of enhanced vector susceptibility.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)991-996
Number of pages6
JournalScience
Volume370
Issue number6519
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 20 2020

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

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