Leveraging insect-specific viruses to elucidate mosquito population structure and dynamics

Area of Science:

• Genomic epidemiology
• Vector ecology
• Virology

Background:

• Quantifying mosquito population structure and movement is crucial for controlling vector-borne diseases but remains challenging.
• Current methods struggle to measure fine-scale genetic variation and dispersal rates in mosquito populations.
• The mosquito virome, encompassing diverse viruses, offers a potential tool for ecological studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the utility of the mosquito virome for quantifying population structure and movement rates.
• To investigate how insect-specific viruses (ISVs) can serve as markers for mosquito population dynamics.
• To develop novel methods for estimating mosquito dispersal using viral phylogenies and incidence data.

Main Methods:

• Analyzing the diversity of viruses within mosquito populations (virome).
• Focusing on insect-specific viruses (ISVs) for their potential as population markers.
• Applying spatial and genomic epidemiology principles to viral data.
• Utilizing established analytical methods on viral phylogenies and incidence data.

Main Results:

• Mosquito viromes contain diverse viruses, including prevalent ISVs.
• ISVs, particularly vertically transmitted ones, can act as extensions of the host genome.
• Viral phylogenies and incidence data hold potential for estimating mosquito population structure and dispersal.

Conclusions:

• The mosquito virome provides a promising avenue for understanding mosquito ecology at relevant scales.
• Insect-specific viruses (ISVs) can be leveraged to study mosquito population structure and dynamics.
• This approach can significantly enhance mosquito-borne disease ecology research and inform control strategies.