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Recurrence of local transmission of Zika virus in Puerto Rico is a major public health risk to the United States, where mosquitoes Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) and Aedes mediovittatus (Coquillett) are abundant. To determine the extent to which Ae. mediovittatus are capable of transmitting Zika virus and the influence of viremia, we evaluated infection and transmission in Ae. mediovittatus and Ae. aegypti from Puerto Rico using serial dilutions of infectious blood. Higher doses of infectious blood resulted in greater infection rates in both mosquitoes. Aedes aegypti females were up to twice as susceptible to infection than Ae. mediovittatus, indicating a more effective midgut infection barrier in the latter mosquito species. Aedes aegypti exhibited higher disseminated infection (40-95%) than Ae. mediovittatus (<5%), suggesting a substantial midgut escape barrier in Ae. mediovittatus. For Ae. aegypti, transmission rates were low over a range of doses of Zika virus ingested, suggesting substantial salivary gland barriers., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Zika virus (ZIKV) first spread into Brazil in 2013 and is now present throughout the Americas. In 2016, Florida witnessed the beginnings of local ZIKV transmission. No reports of local transmission have been reported for 2018; however, travel related cases continue to be reported. Recurrence of local transmission in the United States is a major public health risk in Florida where vectors Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae, Linnaeus) and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae, Skuse) are abundant and there is a high potential for virus reintroduction. A dose-response study was used to evaluate susceptibility and transmission potential of Florida Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus to ZIKV originating from Puerto Rico. Mosquitoes were orally exposed to one of three doses of ZIKV. Higher doses of infected blood resulted in overall greater infection rates in both mosquito species. Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were susceptible to infection with ZIKV and revealed a significant species by dose interaction. At low doses, Ae. aegypti was significantly less susceptible to infection with ZIKV than Ae. albopictus (6.7% and 44.4%, respectively). In contrast, at high doses, Ae. aegypti was significantly more susceptible to infection than Ae. albopictus (75.8% and 53.8%, respectively). No significant differences were observed between Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus in disseminated infection (0-75%) and saliva infection (0-52.4%). These observations suggest greater susceptibility to infection for Ae. albopictus at lower doses likely encountered by viremic humans. However, low disseminated infection and saliva infection for Ae. albopictus, combined with catholic feeding behavior, are likely to limit transmission potential relative to Ae. aegypti., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2019.)

The Asian lineage of Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne pathogen originally from Africa, caused an epidemic into Brazil in 2015 and subsequently spread throughout the Americas. Local transmission in the U.S. is a public health concern, especially for Florida where the mosquito vectors Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus are widespread, abundant, and there is a high potential for virus introduction due to imported cases. Here we evaluate relative susceptibility to infection and transmission of Zika virus among geographic populations of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus in Florida. Both species have been implicated as ZIKV vectors elsewhere, but both virus and vector genotype are known to influence transmission capacities and, hence, the risk of outbreaks. We test the hypothesis that Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus show geographic differences in midgut and salivary gland barriers that limit ZIKV transmission, using local populations of the two vector species recently colonized from three regions of Florida to compare their susceptibility to ZIKV infection, disseminated infection, and transmission potential. Susceptibility to infection was higher in Ae. aegypti (range 76–92%) than Ae. albopictus (range 47–54%). Aedes aegypti exhibited 33–44% higher susceptibility to infection than Ae. albopictus, with Ae. aegypti from Okeechobee, FL having 17% higher susceptibility to infection than Ae. aegypti from Miami, FL. Similarly, disseminated infection was higher in Ae. aegypti (range 87–89%) than Ae. albopictus (range 31–39%), although did not vary by region. Enhanced infection and disseminated infection in Ae. aegypti were associated with higher viral loads in mosquito samples than in Ae. albopictus. Transmission rates did not vary by species or region (range 26–47%). The results support the hypothesis that Ae. aegypti, but not Ae. albopictus, exhibited regional differences in midgut infection barriers. Our observation of higher vector competence for Ae. aegypti than Ae. albopictus, together with this species greater propensity to feed on humans, lends support to the notion that Ae. aegypti is regarded as the primary vector for ZIKV and public health concern in continental U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asian genotype of Zika virus (ZIKV) emerged in Brazil in 2015 and subsequently spread throughout the Americas. In July 2016, Florida experienced its first locally acquired ZIKV infection in the continental U.S. Concerns about health risks from ZIKV infection have increased the need to investigate the interactions between potential mosquito vectors and ZIKV. The time it takes for an arbovirus to propagate within a mosquito, and become transmissible, is the extrinsic incubation period (EIP). The EIP for potential mosquito vectors in Florida is unknown. To address this gap in the understanding of ZIKV epidemiology, Florida Aedes aegypti (L.) and Ae. albopictus (Skuse) were orally exposed to ZIKV infected blood meals and fully engorged mosquitoes were held at a constant temperature of 28 °C through the duration of the experiment. Saliva expectorates were collected from cohorts of mosquitoes and tested for the presence of ZIKV at three-day intervals over a period of 24 days to allow for an evaluation of the EIP of the emergent Asian lineage of ZIKV. High rates of infected bodies in Ae. albopictus (75–94%) and Ae. aegypti (68–86%) were observed throughout the incubation period, which did not differ by species. Higher rates of disseminated infection were observed later during the incubation period but did not differ between species. We calculated the 50% EIP to be shorter in Ae. albopictus than Ae. aegypti (16.2 and 18.2 days post infection, respectively). The competence for ZIKV observed in both species may contribute to high rates of ZIKV transmission in Florida populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]