A mosquito infected with Chikungunya viral disease has shown up in Brazil
115
views
There were many cases of Chikungunya viral disease reported in Brazil in 2015 but until now the virus was not detected in any mosquitoes in the country.
Extreme caution must be taken to attempt to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes in Brazil. MedicalXPress reports the first Chikungunya-infected Aedes aegypti mosquito has been found in the country.
In 2015 there were greater than 13,000 cases of Chikungunya viral disease reported in Brazil. However scientists had not previously detected this virus in a captured mosquito in the country. Recently researchers identified a mosquito in Brazil that was naturally infected with the East-Central-South-African (ECSA) genotype of Chikungunya. This mosquito was caught in the Brazilian city of Aracaju.
loading...
Chikungunya is endemic in Africa and Asia. The disease generally causes a fever and joint pain. For this study Margareth Capurro, who is with the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and colleagues, collected 248 mosquitoes from both inside and outside homes located in urban areas of Aracaju. Residents in this area were complaining of symptoms which were consistent with CHIKV or associated diseases. One of the female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes was identified as being a carrier of CHIKV.
The authors of this study have written that surveillance of the Aedes mosquito should be expanded with an interest in preventing new CHIKV outbreaks in Brazil. There are adequate conditions in Brazil for the establishment of an endemic situation and this can expose other countries which are also at risk.
This study has been published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. The first report of naturally infected Aedes aegypti with the chikungunya virus genotype ECSA in the Americas has emerged. It is important to understand the role of this mosquito species in spreading arboviruses such as Chikungunya in order to help
develop effective programs aimed at avoiding the establishment of endemic transmission cycles of CHIKV. Clearly local residents of Brazil and visitors to the country should at all times take every precaution possible to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
Loading...