Lühken Renke, Rauhöft Leif, Pluskota Björn, Lange Unchana, Helms Michelle, Becker Norbert, Schmidt-Chanasit Jonas, Kuhn Carola, Tannich Egbert, Jansen Stephanie, Heitmann Anna
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
Kommunale Aktionsgemeinschaft zur Bekämpfung der Schnakenplage (KABS E.V.), Speyer, Germany.
Parasit Vectors. 2024 Dec 4;17(1):502. doi: 10.1186/s13071-024-06594-x.
The incidence of human infections caused by arthropod-borne viruses, such as the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), has increased globally due to a number of factors, such as climate change and globalization. The exotic mosquito species Aedes albopictus is a significant vector for CHIKV, raising concerns about its transmission potential in temperate regions, including Central Europe. We have therefore investigated the vector competence of Ae. albopictus for CHIKV at constant and fluctuating temperatures between 15 °C and 24 °C to assess the transmission risk in Europe.
Aedes albopictus mosquitoes were reared and artificially infected with CHIKV. Infection rates and transmission efficiencies (TEs) were determined after 14 days of incubation at constant and fluctuating (± 5 °C) mean temperatures of 15 °C, 18 °C, 21 °C and 24 °C. In addition, mosquito locomotor activity was measured under the same fluctuating temperature conditions. A risk map for CHIKV transmission in Europe was generated combining temperature data and the current distribution of Ae. albopictus.
CHIKV transmission was observed at all tested temperatures. The highest TEs were recorded at fluctuating temperatures of 18 °C (54.3%) and 21 °C (58.6%), while the lowest TE was observed at a constant temperature of 15 °C (5.6%). TEs at fluctuating temperatures of 15 °C and 24 °C were the same (32.5%). Mosquito activity showed a nocturnal unimodal activity pattern with a peak during the start of the scotophase (hour 20). The proportion of active mosquitoes per hour increased with temperature and was nearly zero at 15 °C. The risk map indicated that regions in Southern and Central Europe, including recently invaded areas north of the Alps, have temperatures theoretically allowing CHIKV transmission for at least some days per year.
While CHIKV can be transmitted by Ae. albopictus at 15 °C, the activity of this mosquito is strongly decreased at this temperature, likely reducing the transmission risk. These findings emphasize the importance of considering both vector competence and mosquito activity when assessing the risk of arbovirus transmission in temperate regions. Further studies are needed to validate these laboratory findings under field conditions.
由于气候变化和全球化等多种因素，包括基孔肯雅病毒（CHIKV）在内的节肢动物传播病毒引起的人类感染在全球范围内有所增加。外来蚊种白纹伊蚊是CHIKV的重要传播媒介，这引发了人们对其在包括中欧在内的温带地区传播潜力的担忧。因此，我们研究了白纹伊蚊在15℃至24℃的恒定温度和波动温度下对CHIKV的传播能力，以评估欧洲的传播风险。
饲养白纹伊蚊并使其人工感染CHIKV。在15℃、18℃、21℃和24℃的恒定温度和波动（±5℃）平均温度下孵育14天后，测定感染率和传播效率（TEs）。此外，在相同的波动温度条件下测量蚊子的运动活性。结合温度数据和白纹伊蚊的当前分布情况，绘制了欧洲CHIKV传播风险图。
在所有测试温度下均观察到CHIKV传播。在18℃（54.3%）和21℃（58.6%）的波动温度下记录到最高的传播效率，而在15℃的恒定温度下观察到最低的传播效率（5.6%）。15℃和24℃波动温度下的传播效率相同（32.5%）。蚊子的活动呈现夜间单峰活动模式，在暗期开始时（第20小时）达到峰值。每小时活跃蚊子的比例随温度升高而增加，在15℃时几乎为零。风险图表明，欧洲南部和中部地区，包括阿尔卑斯山以北最近入侵的地区，理论上每年至少有几天的温度允许CHIKV传播。
虽然CHIKV可在15℃时由白纹伊蚊传播，但在此温度下这种蚊子的活动会大幅减少，可能会降低传播风险。这些发现强调了在评估温带地区虫媒病毒传播风险时考虑传播能力和蚊子活动的重要性。需要进一步研究以在野外条件下验证这些实验室结果。
