title: Potential of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus populations in the Central African Republic to transmit enzootic chikungunya virus strains.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Major chikungunya outbreaks have affected several Central African countries during the past decade. The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was isolated from humans and sylvan mosquitoes in the Central African Republic (CAR) during the 1970 and 1980s but has not been found recently, despite the presence of Aedes albopictus since 2010. The risk of a massive chikungunya epidemic is therefore potentially high, as the human populations are immunologically naïve and because of the presence of the mosquito vector. In order to estimate the risk of a large outbreak, we assessed the vector competence of local Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus populations for ancient local strains of CHIKV in CAR. Mosquitoes were orally infected with the virus, and its presence in mosquito saliva was analysed 7 and 14 days post-infection (dpi) by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two species had similar infection rates at 7 and 14 days, and the dissemination rate of both vectors was ≥ 80% at 14 dpi. Only females followed up to 14 dpi had CHKV in their saliva.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results confirm the risk of transmission of enzootic CHIKV by anthropophilic vectors such as Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Bangui, PO Box 923, Bangui, Central African Republic. ngoagounic@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Carine
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2010-3758
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ngoagouni
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Bangui, PO Box 923, Bangui, Central African Republic.|Research Unit, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale, PO Box 288, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Basile
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kamgang
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, BP 6010, 23 Ave Pasteur, 97306, Cayenne, French Guiana.
authors.forename: Mirdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kazanji
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire MIVEGEC, UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM, Centre IRD de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paupy
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Bangui, PO Box 923, Bangui, Central African Republic.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nakouné
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D002488:Central African Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D065632:Chikungunya Fever / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D002646:Chikungunya virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000072138:Mosquito Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology
keywords: Aedes aegypti; Aedes albopictus; Central African Republic; Chikungunya virus; Enzootic strain; Vector competence