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Updated: Mar 8, 2026
Protocol for Dengue Infections in Mosquitoes A. aegypti and Infection Phenotype Determination
Published on: July 4, 2007
Superinfection interference between dengue-2 and dengue-4 viruses in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes
Ephantus J Muturi1, Eva Buckner2, Jeffrey Bara3
1Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.
Objective:
Dengue virus consists of four antigenically distinct serotypes (DENV 1-4) that are transmitted to humans by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. In many dengue-endemic regions, co-circulation of two or more DENV serotypes is fairly common increasing the likelihood for exposure of the two vectors to multiple serotypes. We used a model system of DENV-2 and DENV-4 to investigate how prior exposure of Aedes aegypti to one DENV serotype affects its susceptibility to another serotype.
Methods:
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were sequentially infected with DENV-2 and DENV-4 and the infection and dissemination rates for each virus determined.
Results:
We found that prior infection of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes with DENV-4 rendered them significantly less susceptible to secondary infection with DENV-2. Although the results were not statistically significant, mosquitoes infected with DENV-2 were also less susceptible to secondary infection with DENV-4. The midgut dissemination and population dissemination rates for DENV-2 were significantly higher than those of DENV-4 when either virus was administered 7 days after administration of either a non-infectious blood meal or a blood meal containing a heterologous dengue serotype.
Conclusion:
These results demonstrate that superinfection interference between DENV serotypes is possible within Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, but its effect on DENV epidemiology may be dependent on the fitness of interacting serotypes.
