Zika, an emerging flavivirus classified in the same family as West Nile, yellow fever and dengue, could be carried by a higher number of mosquito species than previously estimated, recent studies have shown.
According to a new paper published on Feb. 27 in the journal eLife, 26 new potential vector species have been identified, seven of which can be found in the continental United States.
This raises the total number of mosquito species that could transmit the Zika virus to 35.
Mosquito Species Identified As Vectors
The updated vector candidate list, which includes Culex quinquefasciatus and Cx. Pipiens, was established via an advanced predictive model that links Zika to prospective mosquito species that could infect the human population.
This novelty research project, developed through the collaborative work of the University of Georgia and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, analyzed a series of trait combinations from both the virus and the vectors to predict which species were most likely to carry and spread Zika.
Similar methods of investigation have been successfully used in the past with other species of wildlife to predict reservoirs of infection.
"What we've done is to draw up a list of potential vector candidates based on the associations with viruses that they've had in the past as well as other traits that are specific to that species," explained study co-author Courtney C. Murdock, assistant professor in the UGA School of Veterinary Medicine and Odum School of Ecology.
The research showed that certain traits had a much greater role in establishing a correlation between the virus and its vectors, namely the number of species that can carry the virus, their subgenus, the continents where these species are found, and the number of viruses they could spread.
The study's conclusions are crucial considering Zika's rapid transmission rates and the major public health concerns the virus is currently posing.
7 Possible Vector Species Found In US
Consequently, the researchers point out that all vector species need to be further investigated to prevent the spread of the virus, with emphasis on the seven newly identified ones that occur in the continental U.S.
Michelle V. Evans, lead author of the study and doctoral student in ecology and conservation at UGA, recommends that these seven particular mosquito species be fast-tracked in terms of study priority. Evans added that the mosquitoes' ability to act as a vector for the virus is just one of the disease risk factors that should be considered.
Since there are many other important factors to scrutinize, Evans stresses the necessity of corroborating their research through additional extensive studies, focusing on the seven prioritized vector species.
Photo: CDC Global | Flickr
