Mosquito-Borne Human Viral Diseases: Why Aedes aegypti ?

Although numerous viruses are transmitted by mosquitoes, four have caused the most human suffering over the centuries and continuing today. These are the viruses causing yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika fevers. Africa is clearly the ancestral home of yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika vi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2018-06, Vol.98 (6), p.1563-1565
Main Author: Powell, Jeffrey R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Mosquitoes
Pieces
Zika virus
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Summary:Although numerous viruses are transmitted by mosquitoes, four have caused the most human suffering over the centuries and continuing today. These are the viruses causing yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika fevers. Africa is clearly the ancestral home of yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika viruses and likely the dengue virus. Several species of mosquitoes, primarily in the genus , have been transmitting these viruses and their direct ancestors among African primates for millennia allowing for coadaptation among viruses, mosquitoes, and primates. One African primate (humans) and one African mosquito ( ) have escaped Africa and spread around the world. Thus it is not surprising that this native African mosquito is the most efficient vector of these native African viruses to this native African primate. This makes it likely that when the next disease-causing virus comes out of Africa, will be the major vector to humans.
ISSN:0002-9637
1476-1645
DOI:10.4269/ajtmh.17-0866