AUTHOR=Gómez Marcela , Martínez David , Hernández Carolina , Luna Nicolás , Patiño Luz Helena , Bohórquez Melo Ramiro , Suarez Luis Alejandro , Palma-Cuero Mónica , Murcia Luz Mila , González Páez Leonel , Estrada Bustos Leonardo , Medina Manuel Alfonso , Ariza Campo Katiuska , Padilla Holmer David , Zamora Flórez Alexander , De las Salas Jorge Luis , Muñoz Marina , Ramírez Juan David 

TITLE=Arbovirus infection in Aedes aegypti from different departments of Colombia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.999169

DOI=10.3389/fevo.2022.999169

ISSN=2296-701X

ABSTRACT=<p>The lack of precise and timely knowledge about the molecular epidemiology of arboviruses of public health importance, particularly in the vector, has limited the comprehensive control of arboviruses. In Colombia and the Americas, entomovirological studies are scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the frequency of natural infection and/or co-infection by Dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV), and Chikungunya (CHIKV) in <italic>Aedes</italic> spp. circulating in different departments of Colombia (Amazonas, Boyacá, Magdalena, and Vichada) and identifying vector species by barcoding. <italic>Aedes</italic> mosquitoes were collected in departments with reported prevalence or incidence of arbovirus cases during 2020–2021, located in different biogeographic zones of the country: Amazonas, Boyacá, Magdalena, and Vichada. The insects were processed individually for RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and subsequent detection of DENV (serotypes DENV1-4 by multiplex PCR), CHIKV, and ZIKV (qRT-PCR). The positive mosquitoes for arboviruses were sequenced (Sanger method) using the subunit I of the cytochrome oxidase (COI) gene for species-level identification. In total, 558 <italic>Aedes</italic> mosquitoes were captured, 28.1% (<italic>n</italic> = 157) predominantly infected by DENV in all departments. The serotypes with the highest frequency of infection were DENV-1 and DENV-2 with 10.7% (<italic>n</italic> = 58) and 14.5% (<italic>n</italic> = 81), respectively. Coinfections between serotypes represented 3.9% (<italic>n</italic> = 22). CHIKV infection was detected in one individual (0.2%), and ZIKV infections were not detected. All infected samples were identified as <italic>A. aegypti</italic> (100%). From the COI dataset (593 bp), high levels of haplotype diversity (H = 0.948 ± 0.012) and moderate nucleotide diversity (π = 0.0225 ± 0.003) were identified, suggesting recent population expansions. Constructed phylogenetic analyses showed our COI sequences’ association with lineage I, which was reported widespread and related to a West African conspecific. We conclude that natural infection in <italic>A. aegypti</italic> by arbovirus might reflect the country’s epidemiological behavior, with a higher incidence of serotypes DENV-1 and DENV-2, which may be associated with high seroprevalence and asymptomatic infections in humans. This study demonstrates the high susceptibility of this species to arbovirus infection and confirms that <italic>A. aegypti</italic> is the main vector in Colombia. The importance of including entomovirological surveillance strategy within public health systems to understand transmission dynamics and the potential risk to the population is highlighted herein.</p>