Natural Vertical Transmission of Dengue Virus Serotype 4 in Larvae from Urban Areas in Sinaloa, Mexico.

Dengue virus (DENV) is transmitted to humans by the bite of the vector . Several researchers have suggested that the mechanism of vertical transmission of DENV in the vector is a key aspect for the prevalence of the virus in the environment and the potentiation of epidemic outbreaks of the disease. In this context and as part of an integrated study of DENV serotypes in mosquitoes of urban areas in Sinaloa, Mexico, the presence of DENV-4 in larval stages of was evaluated to demonstrate the vertical transmission of this serotype. In total, 672 larvae of were collected in 16 sectors and were grouped into 36 pools, of which 41.66% (15/36 pools) tested positive for DENV-4, with a minimum infection rate = 22.32. The analysis of the obtained sequences showed a 98% similarity to the DENV-4 with sequences previously reported in GenBank. These results show that acts as a natural reservoir for DENV-4 in this region.