Replication of Dengue Virus 4 in Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Larvae Under Laboratory Conditions

Developing methods for the isolation and replication of dengue virus (DENV), based on nonhematophagous insect models to assess virus-host interaction, would contribute, for instance, to the creation of drugs or vaccines and eventually to the control of the disease. In this regard, nonhematophagous mosquitoes have been used as biological hosts for the isolation of DENV because they are specific and sensitive to a low viral load and viral particles with low infectivity. However, implementation of these models is mainly affected by the complexity of the establishment of the entomological colonies. In this study, the susceptibility of DENV-4 infection in Plodia interpunctella larvae was evaluated. Ten larvae, previously inoculated with supernatant from DENV-4-infected C6/36 cells, were processed to determine viral replication by the optical density and 2^-ΔΔCt methods at different time intervals (1 and 7 days postinoculation). A prospective increase in viral replication was observed, which did not influence the survival and development of P. interpunctella. These results demonstrate the infectivity of DENV-4 in P. interpunctella, thus becoming an option as a biological model for the study of this etiological agent.