Superinfection interference between dengue-2 and dengue-4 viruses in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

OBJECTIVE

Dengue virus consists of four antigenically distinct serotypes (DENV 1-4) that are transmitted to humans by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. In many dengue-endemic regions, co-circulation of two or more DENV serotypes is fairly common increasing the likelihood for exposure of the two vectors to multiple serotypes. We used a model system of DENV-2 and DENV-4 to investigate how prior exposure of Aedes aegypti to one DENV serotype affects its susceptibility to another serotype.

METHODS

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were sequentially infected with DENV-2 and DENV-4 and the infection and dissemination rates for each virus determined.

RESULTS

We found that prior infection of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes with DENV-4 rendered them significantly less susceptible to secondary infection with DENV-2. Although the results were not statistically significant, mosquitoes infected with DENV-2 were also less susceptible to secondary infection with DENV-4. The midgut dissemination and population dissemination rates for DENV-2 were significantly higher than those of DENV-4 when either virus was administered 7 days after administration of either a non-infectious blood meal or a blood meal containing a heterologous dengue serotype.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that superinfection interference between DENV serotypes is possible within Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, but its effect on DENV epidemiology may be dependent on the fitness of interacting serotypes.