Effect of anticoagulants on the susceptibility of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to dengue virus infection

摘要

Various theories regarding hemorrhagic manifestations of dengue fever have been put forward, which include sequential infection with different virus serotypes, virus strains and several host factors like cytokines and cytotoxic factors, etc. (1). The role ofAedes aegypti mosquito vector has not been seriously considered in the selective and gradual increase of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) cases. The present study was performed with a view that in DHF cases, due to blood coagulation defects, the increased bloodclotting time in the midgut of mosquitoes may cause an increase in the infectivity of mosquitoes under these conditions as compared to mosquitoes feeding on classical dengue cases. Since also a higher viremia is associated with DHF cases, the increased blood clotting time in the midgut may have a synergistic effect and may increase the opportunity of virus particles binding to virus-specific receptors present on the gut epithelial cells. Thus, chances of mosquitoes feeding on a DHF patient would result in more infective mosquitoes as compared to those feeding on a classical dengue patient. Therefore, the probability of mosquitoes to pick up and transmit the virus strains responsible for causing DHF would likely be greater than that of mosquitoes to pick up the virus stains causing a classical dengue. The present communication therefore reports data on the effect of anticoagulants on the susceptibility of A. aegypti mosquitoes to dengue virus infection.