Potential impact of a presumed increase in the biting activity of dengue-virus-infected Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) females on virus transmission dynamics.
Recently, we showed that infection with dengue virus increases the locomotor activity of Aedes aegypti females. We speculate that the observed increased locomotor activity could potentially increase the chances of finding a suitable host and, as a consequence, the relative biting rate of infected mosquitoes. We used a mathematical model to investigate the impact of the increased locomotor activity by assuming that this activity translated into an increased biting rate for infected mosquitoes. The results show that the increased biting rate resulted in dengue outbreaks with greater numbers of primary and secondary infections and with more severe biennial epidemics.
Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas, Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas. paula.luz@ipec.fiocruz.br
Paula Mendes
PM
Luz
Tamara Nunes
TN
Lima-Camara
Rafaela Vieira
RV
Bruno
Márcia Gonçalves de
MG
Castro
Marcos Henrique Ferreira
MH
Sorgine
Ricardo
R
Lourenço-de-Oliveira
Alexandre Afrânio
AA
Peixoto
D000330:Aedes / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D003715:Dengue / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D011157:Population Dynamics