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18 pages, 493 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Frontier of Entomo-Virology: Applications and Tools for Virus and Vector Surveillance

by Poliana da Silva Lemos, Mayron Mielly Morais Pacheco, Bruna Laís Sena do Nascimento, Mônica Silva Coelho, Luciano Chaves Franco Filho, Daniel Damous Dias, Leonardo Sena, Sandro Patroca da Silva and Maria Anice Mureb Sallum

Pathogens 2025, 14(7), 699; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14070699 - 15 Jul 2025

Viewed by 499

Abstract

The term ‘entomo-virology’ arose because of the confluence of entomology and virology, focused on deepening the knowledge about the interactions between vectors and viruses and the aspects that involve hosts and the environment. Based on this, entomo-virological surveillance was proposed, aiming to develop [...] Read more.

The term ‘entomo-virology’ arose because of the confluence of entomology and virology, focused on deepening the knowledge about the interactions between vectors and viruses and the aspects that involve hosts and the environment. Based on this, entomo-virological surveillance was proposed, aiming to develop tools that strengthen prevention for arboviral disease and vector control strategies. This review aims to present a narrative synthesis regarding the component elements of the concept of entomo-virology. In addition, the applications and tools for the surveillance of viruses and vectors, their implementation challenges, and perspectives are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology, Control and Molecular Diagnostics of Vector-Borne Infections)

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10 pages, 4094 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Entomo-Virological Surveillance and Genomic Insights into DENV-2 Genotype III Circulation in Rural Esmeraldas, Ecuador

by Andrés Carrazco-Montalvo, Diana Gutiérrez-Pallo, Valentina Arévalo, Patricio Ponce, Cristina Rodríguez-Polit, Gabriela Echeverría-Garcés, Josefina Coloma, Victoria Nipaz and Varsovia Cevallos

Pathogens 2025, 14(6), 541; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14060541 - 28 May 2025

Viewed by 1388

Abstract

Ecuador, a tropical country with frequent dengue outbreaks, including a surge from 16,017 cases in 2022 to 61,329 in 2024, was the focus of this study. The study was conducted in Borbon, a semi-urban rural town in the Esmeraldas province. Genomic analysis, alongside [...] Read more.

Ecuador, a tropical country with frequent dengue outbreaks, including a surge from 16,017 cases in 2022 to 61,329 in 2024, was the focus of this study. The study was conducted in Borbon, a semi-urban rural town in the Esmeraldas province. Genomic analysis, alongside entomo-virological surveillance, provides valuable insights into DENV-2 genotypes. Five pools of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes from Borbon tested positive for DENV serotype 2 through RT-qPCR. One positive pool (CT = 16.13) was sequenced using Illumina MiSeq, and genotyping was conducted via the Dengue Typing Tool and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic tree. The genotype assigned was III Southern Asian-American. Comparison with other genomes revealed genetic similarity to a human dengue genome sequenced in 2021, also from Esmeraldas, clustering with genomes reported across the Americas, particularly from Colombia and Venezuela. This study enhances our understanding of dengue virus epidemiology in rural areas, emphasizing the critical role of clinical case surveillance and vector monitoring in guiding evidence-based interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Viral Pathogens)

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9 pages, 1270 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential Performance of Two New RT-PCR and RT-qPCR Methods for Multiplex Detection of Dengue Virus Serotypes 1–4 and Chikungunya Virus in Mosquitoes

by Michel Kiréopori Gomgnimbou, Louis Robert Wendyam Belem, Etienne Bilgo, Miriam Félicité Amara, Zouera Laouali, Ali Ouari, Toussaint Bayala, Kobo Gnada, Raymond Kharlis Yao, Moussa Namountougou and Ibrahim Sangaré

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46(10), 11048-11056; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb46100656 - 30 Sep 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1845

Abstract

Mosquitoes of the genus Aedes are the most important arthropod disease vector. Dengue virus (DENV) and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) are the main arboviruses distributed throughout the world. Based on entomo-virological surveillance, appropriate public health strategies can be adopted to contain cases and control [...] Read more.

Mosquitoes of the genus Aedes are the most important arthropod disease vector. Dengue virus (DENV) and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) are the main arboviruses distributed throughout the world. Based on entomo-virological surveillance, appropriate public health strategies can be adopted to contain cases and control outbreaks. This study aims to show the potential performance of two new molecular methods for detecting DENV serotypes and CHIKV in mosquitoes. Mosquitoes were collected in urban and sylvatic areas of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, between July and August 2023. DENV and CHIKV were screened using new multiplex RT-PCR and RT-qPCR methods. A total of 2150 mosquitoes were trapped, consisting of 976 Aedes (959 Ae. aegypti, 6 Ae. furcifer, and 11 Ae. vittatus) and 1174 Culex sp. These were grouped into 39 pools, with each pool containing a maximum of 30 mosquitoes. Molecular screening revealed that 7.7% (3/39) of the pools were positive for DENV. Specifically, DENV-1 was detected in one pool (1/3), and DENV-3 was found in two pools (2/3). All pools tested negative for CHIKV. The overall minimum infection rate (MIR) of DENV in this study was 3.07 (95% CI: 2.24–19.86). This study shows the usefulness of our new molecular tools for the surveillance of DENV serotypes and CHIKV. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Contribution and Application of Molecular Biology in the Applied Biosciences — Focusing on Medicine, Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Fields)

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12 pages, 1198 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Multiple RNA Extraction Protocols for Chikungunya Virus Screening in Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes

by Bárbara Caroline Garcia Freitas, Daniel Damous Dias, Lúcia Aline Moura Reis, Leonardo Henrique Almeida Hernández, Glennda Juscely Galvão Pereira Cereja, Carine Fortes Aragão, Sandro Patroca da Silva, Joaquim Pinto Nunes Neto, Carmeci Natalina Elias and Ana Cecília Ribeiro Cruz

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(12), 6700; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25126700 - 18 Jun 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2491

Abstract

Chikungunya virus (Togaviridae, Alphavirus; CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne global health threat. The main urban vector of CHIKV is the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is found throughout Brazil. Therefore, it is important to carry out laboratory tests to assist in the [...] Read more.

Chikungunya virus (Togaviridae, Alphavirus; CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne global health threat. The main urban vector of CHIKV is the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is found throughout Brazil. Therefore, it is important to carry out laboratory tests to assist in the virus’s diagnosis and surveillance. Most molecular biology methodologies use nucleic acid extraction as the first step and require quality RNA for their execution. In this context, four RNA extraction protocols were evaluated in Ae. aegypti experimentally infected with CHIKV. Six pools were tested in triplicates (n = 18), each containing 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, or 40 mosquitoes per pool (72 tests). Four commercial kits were compared: QIAamp^®, Maxwell^®, PureLink^®, and PureLink^® with TRIzol^®. The QIAamp^® and PureLink^® with TRIzol^® kits had greater sensitivity. Two negative correlations were observed: as the number of mosquitoes per pool increases, the Ct value decreases, with a higher viral load. Significant differences were found when comparing the purity and concentration of RNA. The QIAamp^® protocol performed better when it came to lower Ct values and higher RNA purity and concentration. These results may provide help in CHIKV entomovirological surveillance planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advances in Analytical Techniques for Biological and Medical Research)

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25 pages, 1064 KiB

Open AccessReview

Genus Culex Linnaeus, 1758 (Diptera: Culicidae) as an Important Potential Arbovirus Vector in Brazil: An Integrative Review

by Lúcia Aline Moura Reis, Ana Beatriz Oliveira Pampolha, Bruna Lais Sena do Nascimento, Daniel Damous Dias, Pedro Arthur da Silva Araújo, Fábio Silva da Silva, Lucas Henrique da Silva e Silva, Hanna Carolina Farias Reis, Eliana Vieira Pinto da Silva and Joaquim Pinto Nunes Neto

Life 2023, 13(11), 2179; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13112179 - 8 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2747

Abstract

The genus Culex has 817 species subdivided into 28 subgenera. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, being most abundant in countries with a tropical climate. Understanding the ecology and diversity of viruses circulating in the species of this genus is important for understanding their [...] Read more.

The genus Culex has 817 species subdivided into 28 subgenera. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, being most abundant in countries with a tropical climate. Understanding the ecology and diversity of viruses circulating in the species of this genus is important for understanding their role as arbovirus vectors in Brazil. To conduct an integrative review to identify the importance of the Culex genus as arbovirus vectors in Brazil. A search was carried out for scientific papers in the PubMed, BVSalud, Patuá-IEC and International Catalogue of Arboviruses: including certain other viruses of vertebrates databases. 36 publications describing arbovirus detections in Culex mosquitoes collected in the field in Brazil were evaluated. A total of 42 arbovirus species were detected, as well as studies analyzing the vector competence of C. quinquefasciatus for the transmission of four different arboviruses. The study of the Culex genus and its role as a vector of arboviruses in Brazil is essential for understanding transmission cycles, with the main aim of reducing cases of human infection. Thus, entomovirological surveillance guides the implementation of actions to detect circulating arboviruses among vectors to anticipate measures aimed at preventing or reducing the risk of arbovirus outbreaks in the country. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arbovirus: Infection, Immunity and Antiviral Research)

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12 pages, 1916 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Importance of Entomo-Virological Investigation of Yellow Fever Virus to Strengthen Surveillance in Brazil

by Ana Cecília Ribeiro Cruz, Leonardo Henrique Almeida Hernández, Carine Fortes Aragão, Thito Yan Bezerra da Paz, Sandro Patroca da Silva, Fábio Silva da Silva, Ana Alice de Aquino, Glennda Juscely Galvão Pereira Cereja, Bruna Lais Sena do Nascimento, José Wilson Rosa Junior, Carmeci Natalina Elias, Cristiano Gomes Nogueira, Daniel Garkauskas Ramos, Vagner Fonseca, Marta Giovanetti, Luiz Carlos Junior Alcantara, Bruno Tardelli Diniz Nunes, Pedro F. da Costa Vasconcelos, Livia Carício Martins and Joaquim Pinto Nunes-Neto

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2023, 8(6), 329; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8060329 - 20 Jun 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2582

Abstract

The largest outbreak of sylvatic yellow fever virus (YFV) in eight decades was recorded in Brazil between 2016–2018. Besides human and NHP surveillance, the entomo-virological approach is considered as a complementary tool. For this study, a total of 2904 mosquitoes of the Aedes [...] Read more.

The largest outbreak of sylvatic yellow fever virus (YFV) in eight decades was recorded in Brazil between 2016–2018. Besides human and NHP surveillance, the entomo-virological approach is considered as a complementary tool. For this study, a total of 2904 mosquitoes of the Aedes, Haemagogus and Sabethes genera were collected from six Brazilian states (Bahia, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, and Tocantins) and grouped into 246 pools, which were tested for YFV using RT-qPCR. We detected 20 positive pools from Minas Gerais, 5 from Goiás, and 1 from Bahia, including 12 of Hg. janthinomys and 5 of Ae. albopictus. This is the first description of natural YFV infection in this species and warns of the likelihood of urban YFV re-emergence with Ae. albopictus as a potential bridge vector. Three YFV sequences from Hg. janthinomys from Goiás and one from Minas Gerais, as well as one from Ae. albopictus from Minas Gerais were clustered within the 2016–2018 outbreak clade, indicating YFV spread from Midwest and its infection in a main and likely novel bridging vector species. Entomo-virological surveillance is critical for YFV monitoring in Brazil, which could highlight the need to strengthen YFV surveillance, vaccination coverage, and vector control measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aedini Mosquito-Borne Disease Outbreaks)

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12 pages, 14793 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Entomo-Virological Aedes aegypti Surveillance Applied for Prediction of Dengue Transmission: A Spatio-Temporal Modeling Study

by André de Souza Leandro, Mario J. C. Ayala, Renata Defante Lopes, Caroline Amaral Martins, Rafael Maciel-de-Freitas and Daniel A. M. Villela

Pathogens 2023, 12(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12010004 - 20 Dec 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3134

Abstract

Currently, DENV transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti affects approximately one in three people annually. The spatio-temporal heterogeneity of vector infestation and the intensity of arbovirus transmission require surveillance capable of predicting an outbreak. In this work, we used data from 4 years of [...] Read more.

Currently, DENV transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti affects approximately one in three people annually. The spatio-temporal heterogeneity of vector infestation and the intensity of arbovirus transmission require surveillance capable of predicting an outbreak. In this work, we used data from 4 years of reported dengue cases and entomological indicators of adult Aedes collected from approximately 3500 traps installed in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, to evaluate the spatial and temporal association between vector infestation and the occurrence of dengue cases. Entomological (TPI, ADI and MII) and entomo-virological (EVI) indexes were generated with the goal to provide local health managers with a transmission risk stratification that allows targeting areas for vector control activities. We observed a dynamic pattern in the evaluation; however, it was a low spatio-temporal correlation of Ae. aegypti and incidence of dengue. Independent temporal and spatial effects capture a significant portion of the signal given by human arbovirus cases. The entomo-virological index (EVI) significantly signaled risk in a few areas, whereas entomological indexes were not effective in providing dengue risk alert. Investigating the variation of biotic and abiotic factors between areas with and without correlation should provide more information about the local epidemiology of dengue. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology, Control and Zoonotic Role of Disease Vectors)

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14 pages, 2594 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Entomovirological Surveillance in Schools: Are They a Source for Arboviral Diseases Transmission?

by Juliana Pérez-Pérez, Víctor Hugo Peña-García, Arley Calle-Tobón, Marcela Quimbayo-Forero, Raúl Rojo, Enrique Henao, Talya Shragai and Guillermo Rúa-Uribe

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 6137; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18116137 - 6 Jun 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3614

Abstract

Surveillance and control activities for virus-transmitting mosquitoes have primarily focused on dwellings. There is little information about viral circulation in heavily trafficked places such as schools. We collected and analyzed data to assess the presence and prevalence of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses [...] Read more.

Surveillance and control activities for virus-transmitting mosquitoes have primarily focused on dwellings. There is little information about viral circulation in heavily trafficked places such as schools. We collected and analyzed data to assess the presence and prevalence of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses in mosquitoes, and measured Aedes indices in schools in Medellín (Colombia) between 2016–2018. In 43.27% of 2632 visits we collected Aedes adults, creating 883 pools analyzed by RT-PCR. 14.27% of pools yielded positive for dengue or Zika (infection rates of 1.75–296.29 for Aedes aegypti). Ae. aegypti was more abundant and had a higher infection rate for all studied diseases. Aedes indices varied over time. There was no association between Aedes abundance and mosquito infection rates, but the latter did correlate with cases of arboviral disease and climate. Results suggest schools are important sources of arbovirus and health agencies should include these sites in surveillance programs; it is essential to know the source for arboviral diseases transmission and the identification of the most population groups exposed to these diseases to research and developing new strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Infectious Disease Epidemiology)

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