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Wolbachia Screening in Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens Mosquitoes from Madeira Island, Portugal

2025-04-15Journal article Open access
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datacite.subject.fosCiências Médicas::Outras Ciências Médicas
dc.contributor.authorFernandes, Rita
dc.contributor.authorMelo, Tiago
dc.contributor.authorMarques Zé-Zé, Líbia Maria
dc.contributor.authorCampos Freitas, Inês
dc.contributor.authorSilva, Manuel
dc.contributor.authorDias, Eva
dc.contributor.authorSantos, Nuno C.
dc.contributor.authorGouveia, Bruna R.
dc.contributor.authorSeixas, Gonçalo
dc.contributor.authorCosta Osório, Hugo
dc.date.accessioned2025-11-14T11:11:09Z
dc.date.available2025-11-14T11:11:09Z
dc.date.issued2025-04-15
dc.description(This article belongs to the Section Medical and Livestock Entomology)
dc.description.abstractSimple Summary: Mosquitoes can spread serious diseases like dengue and West Nile virus. On Madeira Island, two mosquito species—Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens—are present and may pose a risk to public health. Scientists are exploring new ways to control these mosquitoes using a natural bacterium called Wolbachia, which can reduce a mosquito’s ability to transmit viruses and even lower mosquito populations. However, for these methods to work, it is important to know first if the mosquitoes in the area already carry this bacterium. In this study, we tested Ae. aegypti and Cx. pipiens from Madeira for Wolbachia. Wolbachia was absent in all 100 Ae. aegypti tested but present in all 40 Cx. pipiens. We also found that the Wolbachia in Cx. pipiens belonged to a group commonly seen in other parts of the world. These results are important because they help us understand which mosquito control strategies might work in Madeira. Specifically, if scientists want to use Wolbachia to control Ae. aegypti on the island, they would need to introduce it artificially. This information can help improve public health efforts and reduce the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in the region.eng
dc.description.abstractAbstract: Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and West Nile virus pose serious public health risks. On Madeira Island, the presence of the mosquito species Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) and Culex pipiens (Linnaeus, 1758) raises concerns about local transmission. In this study, we tested 100 Ae. aegypti and 40 Cx. pipiens mosquitoes collected exclusively in the municipality of Funchal, Madeira Island, to assess the presence and diversity of Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacterium known to reduce mosquitos' ability to transmit viruses. Molecular identification confirmed that all Cx. pipiens specimens belonged to the molestus biotype, with three individuals identified as hybrids between molestus and pipiens biotypes. This is the first evidence of such hybrids in Madeira. Wolbachia was not detected in any of the Ae. aegypti samples. In contrast, all Cx. pipiens mosquitoes were positive, showing a 100% prevalence. Genetic characterization placed these infections within the wPip clade, supergroup B, sequence type 9. These findings provide key baseline data to inform future mosquito control strategies on the island. As Ae. aegypti showed no natural Wolbachia infection, introducing Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes may be necessary to implement such biocontrol approaches in Madeira.eng
dc.description.sponsorshipThis work was funded by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), project MOBVEC-Mobile Bio-Lab to support the first response in Arbovirus outbreaks, reference HORIZON-EIC-2022-PATHFINDEROPEN-01, with the grant agreement number 101099283; and PhD fellowships funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), references: 2023.05286.BD and 2022.13476.BDANA.
dc.description.sponsorshipAcknowledgments to the Interactive Technologies Institute/Larsys, funded by FCT projects 10.54499/LA/P/0083/2020, 10.54499/UIDP/50009/2020 and 10.54499/UIDB/50009/2020.
dc.identifier.citationInsects. 2025 Apr 15;16(4):418. doi: 10.3390/insects16040418
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/insects16040418
dc.identifier.eissn2075-4450
dc.identifier.pmid40332988
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/10612
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherMDPI
dc.relationMobile Bio-Lab to support first response in Arbovirus outbreaks
dc.relationCapacidade vetorial de Aedes albopictus: risco de surtos por arbovírus no sul de Portugal
dc.relation2023.05286.BD
dc.relation.hasversionhttps://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/4/418
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectWolbachia
dc.subjectBiological Control
dc.subjectEndosymbiotic Bacteria
dc.subjectVector Control
dc.subjectInfecções Sistémicas e Zoonoses
dc.subjectREVIVE
dc.subjectPortugal
dc.titleWolbachia Screening in Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens Mosquitoes from Madeira Island, Portugaleng
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.awardTitleMobile Bio-Lab to support first response in Arbovirus outbreaks
oaire.awardTitleCapacidade vetorial de Aedes albopictus: risco de surtos por arbovírus no sul de Portugal
oaire.awardURIhttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/10525
oaire.awardURIhttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/10399
oaire.citation.issue4
oaire.citation.startPage418
oaire.citation.titleInsects
oaire.citation.volume16
oaire.fundingStreamHORIZON EIC Grants
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
person.familyNameMarques Zé-Zé
person.familyNameCampos Freitas
person.familyNameCosta Osório
person.givenNameLíbia Maria
person.givenNameInês
person.givenNameHugo
person.identifierU-5730-2017
person.identifier.ciencia-id6F16-5659-41DB
person.identifier.ciencia-id5C1B-84A4-ECC9
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-7258-1439
person.identifier.orcid0009-0000-4320-0377
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-6704-740X
person.identifier.scopus-author-id1911430
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