A Survey of Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes in Tunisia and the Potential Role of Aedes detritus and Aedes caspius in the Transmission of Zika Virus. 2019

Wiem Ben Ayed, and Fadila Amraoui, and Youmna M'ghirbi, and Francis Schaffner, and Adel Rhaim, and Anna-Bella Failloux, and Ali Bouattour
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Veterinarian Microbiology, Medical Entomology, Institut Pasteur, 13 Place Pasteur, B.P. 74., 1002 Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia.

The present study aimed to update the list of Aedes mosquito species occurring in Tunisia and to test the vector competence of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) caspius (Pallas) and Ae. (Ochlerotatus) detritus (Haliday), the locally most abundant and widespread species, to transmit Zika virus (ZIKV). In 2017-2018, mosquito larvae were collected from 39 different larval habitats in seven bioclimatic zones of Tunisia. The salinity and pH of each breeding site were measured. The survey revealed the presence of 10 Aedes species in Tunisia: Ae. (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse), Ae. (Ochlerotatus) berlandi (Séguy), Ae. caspius, Ae. detritus, Ae. (Finlaya) echinus (Edwards), Ae. (Finlaya) geniculatus (Olivier), Ae. (Acartomyia) mariae (Sergent and Sergent), Ae. (Ochlerotatus) pulcritarsis (Rondani), Ae. (Aedimorphus) vexans (Meigen), and Ae. (Fredwardsius) vittatus (Bigot). Of these 10 species, Ae. caspius and Ae. detritus were the most abundant in Tunisia. Aedes detritus and Ae. caspius larvae were reared until the imago stage under insectary conditions to test autogeny. The study showed that Ae. detritus is autogenous and stenogamous and Ae. caspius, anautogenous and eurygamous. Finally, the collected strains of these two species were experimentally infected with the Asian genotype of ZIKV, originally isolated from a patient in April 2014 in New Caledonia, to test their vector competence. Neither of these species was able to transmit ZIKV at 7 and 14 d postexposure. Further investigations are needed to test the competence of other Tunisian mosquito species that may be associated with ZIKV transmission.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007814 Larva Wormlike or grublike stage, following the egg in the life cycle of insects, worms, and other metamorphosing animals. Maggots,Tadpoles,Larvae,Maggot,Tadpole
D005260 Female Females
D000071243 Zika Virus Infection A viral disease transmitted by the bite of AEDES mosquitoes infected with ZIKA VIRUS. Its mild DENGUE-like symptoms include fever, rash, headaches and ARTHRALGIA. The viral infection during pregnancy, in rare cases, is associated with congenital brain and ocular abnormalities, called Congenital Zika Syndrome, including MICROCEPHALY and may also lead to GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME. Congenital Zika Syndrome,Congenital Zika Virus Infection,Fever, Zika,ZikV Infection,Zika Fever,Zika Virus Disease,Disease, Zika Virus,Infection, ZikV,Infection, Zika Virus,Virus Disease, Zika,Virus Infection, Zika
D000071244 Zika Virus An arbovirus in the FLAVIVIRUS genus of the family FLAVIVIRIDAE. Originally isolated in the Zika Forest of UGANDA it has been introduced to Asia and the Americas. Virus, Zika,ZikV
D000072138 Mosquito Vectors Mosquitoes (members of the family CULICIDAE) that transmit pathogens or their intermediate forms from one host to another. Mosquito Vector,Vector, Mosquito,Vectors, Mosquito
D000330 Aedes A genus of mosquitoes (CULICIDAE) frequently found in tropical and subtropical regions. YELLOW FEVER and DENGUE are two of the diseases that can be transmitted by species of this genus. Aede
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014416 Tunisia A country in northern Africa between ALGERIA and LIBYA. Its capital is Tunis.
D044969 Ochlerotatus A genus of mosquitoes in the family CULICIDAE. A large number of the species are found in the neotropical part of the Americas.

Related Publications

Wiem Ben Ayed, and Fadila Amraoui, and Youmna M'ghirbi, and Francis Schaffner, and Adel Rhaim, and Anna-Bella Failloux, and Ali Bouattour
March 2016, Journal of medical entomology,
Wiem Ben Ayed, and Fadila Amraoui, and Youmna M'ghirbi, and Francis Schaffner, and Adel Rhaim, and Anna-Bella Failloux, and Ali Bouattour
November 2015, BMC infectious diseases,
Wiem Ben Ayed, and Fadila Amraoui, and Youmna M'ghirbi, and Francis Schaffner, and Adel Rhaim, and Anna-Bella Failloux, and Ali Bouattour
May 2021, Journal of medical entomology,
Wiem Ben Ayed, and Fadila Amraoui, and Youmna M'ghirbi, and Francis Schaffner, and Adel Rhaim, and Anna-Bella Failloux, and Ali Bouattour
December 2010, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene,
Wiem Ben Ayed, and Fadila Amraoui, and Youmna M'ghirbi, and Francis Schaffner, and Adel Rhaim, and Anna-Bella Failloux, and Ali Bouattour
January 1979, Parazitologiia,
Wiem Ben Ayed, and Fadila Amraoui, and Youmna M'ghirbi, and Francis Schaffner, and Adel Rhaim, and Anna-Bella Failloux, and Ali Bouattour
May 2020, Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.),
Wiem Ben Ayed, and Fadila Amraoui, and Youmna M'ghirbi, and Francis Schaffner, and Adel Rhaim, and Anna-Bella Failloux, and Ali Bouattour
July 2019, Parasites & vectors,
Wiem Ben Ayed, and Fadila Amraoui, and Youmna M'ghirbi, and Francis Schaffner, and Adel Rhaim, and Anna-Bella Failloux, and Ali Bouattour
January 1979, Meditsinskaia parazitologiia i parazitarnye bolezni,
Wiem Ben Ayed, and Fadila Amraoui, and Youmna M'ghirbi, and Francis Schaffner, and Adel Rhaim, and Anna-Bella Failloux, and Ali Bouattour
January 2020, Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health,
Wiem Ben Ayed, and Fadila Amraoui, and Youmna M'ghirbi, and Francis Schaffner, and Adel Rhaim, and Anna-Bella Failloux, and Ali Bouattour
February 2019, Emerging infectious diseases,
Copied contents to your clipboard!