Rivera-Martínez Alejandra, Laredo-Tiscareño S Viridiana, Adame-Gallegos Jaime R, Luna-Santillana Erick de Jesús de, Rodríguez-Alarcón Carlos A, García-Rejón Julián E, Casas-Martínez Mauricio, Garza-Hernández Javier A
Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Juárez 32310, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31125, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Life (Basel). 2025 May 19;15(5):807. doi: 10.3390/life15050807.
Black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) are important vectors of pathogens, including filarial nematodes, protozoans, and arboviruses, which significantly impact human and animal health. Although their role in arbovirus transmission has not been as thoroughly studied as that of mosquitoes and ticks, advances in molecular tools, particularly metagenomics, have enabled the identification of non-cultivable viruses, significantly enhancing our understanding of black-fly-borne viral diversity and their public and veterinary health implications. However, these methods can also detect insect-specific viruses (i.e., viruses that are unable to replicate in vertebrate hosts), which may lead to the incorrect classification of black flies as potential vectors. This underscores the need for further research into their ecological and epidemiological roles. This systematic review, conducted following the PRISMA protocol, compiled and analyzed evidence on arbovirus detection in Simuliidae from scientific databases. Several arboviruses were identified in these insects, including vesicular stomatitis virus New Jersey serotype (VSVNJ), Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), and Rift Valley fever virus. Additionally, in vitro studies evaluating the vector competence of Simuliidae for arboviruses such as dengue virus, Murray Valley encephalitis virus, and Sindbis virus were reviewed. These findings provide critical insights into the potential role of black flies in arbovirus transmission cycles, emphasizing their importance as vectors in both public and veterinary health contexts.
蚋（双翅目：蚋科）是包括丝虫线虫、原生动物和虫媒病毒在内的病原体的重要传播媒介，对人类和动物健康有重大影响。尽管它们在虫媒病毒传播中的作用尚未像蚊子和蜱那样得到充分研究，但分子工具，特别是宏基因组学的进展，已使不可培养病毒得以鉴定，显著增进了我们对蚋传播的病毒多样性及其对公共卫生和兽医卫生影响的理解。然而，这些方法也能检测昆虫特异性病毒（即无法在脊椎动物宿主中复制的病毒），这可能导致将蚋错误地归类为潜在传播媒介。这突出表明需要进一步研究它们的生态和流行病学作用。本系统评价按照PRISMA方案进行，从科学数据库中收集并分析了有关蚋科中虫媒病毒检测的证据。在这些昆虫中鉴定出了几种虫媒病毒，包括新泽西型水疱性口炎病毒（VSVNJ）、委内瑞拉马脑炎病毒（VEEV）和裂谷热病毒。此外，还综述了评估蚋科对登革病毒、墨累谷脑炎病毒和辛德毕斯病毒等虫媒病毒传播能力的体外研究。这些发现为蚋在虫媒病毒传播循环中的潜在作用提供了关键见解，强调了它们在公共卫生和兽医卫生背景下作为传播媒介的重要性。
