Journal Article

The common European mosquitoes Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus are unable to transmit SARS-CoV-2 after a natural-mimicking challenge with infected blood

Michelutti, Alice, Ravagnan, Silvia, Severini, Francesco, Toma, Luciano, Amendola, Antonello, Di Luca, Marco, Montarsi, Fabrizio, Bertola, Michela, Fortuna, Claudia, Capelli, Gioia, Marsili, Giulia, Rezza, Giovanni

2021

Overview

Background On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak to be a pandemic. As the mosquito season progressed, the understandable concern that mosquitoes could transmit the virus began to increase among the general public and public health organisations. We have investigated the vector competence of Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus , the two most common species of vector mosquitoes in Europe, for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Due to the very unusual feeding behaviour of Ae. albopictus , we also evaluated the role of this mosquito in a potential mechanical transmission of the virus. Methods For the vector competence study, mosquitoes were allowed to take several infectious blood meals. The mosquitoes were then collected and analysed at 0, 3, 7 and 10 days post-feeding. For the mechanical transmission test, Ae. albopictus females were allowed to feed for a short time on a feeder containing infectious blood and then on a feeder containing virus-free blood. Both mosquitoes and blood were tested for viral presence. Results Culex pipiens and Ae. albopictus were found not be competent vectors for SARS-CoV-2, and Ae. albopictus was unable to mechanically transmit the virus. Conclusions This is the first study to show that the most common species of vector mosquitoes in Europe do not transmit SARS-CoV-2 and that Ae. albopictus is unable to mechanically transmit the virus from a positive host to a healthy host through host-feeding. Graphical Abstract

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Aedes - virology / Aedes albopictus / Animals / Aquatic insects / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Blood / Blood - virology / Blood meals / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / COVID-19 - transmission / COVID-19 infection / Culex - virology / Culex pipiens / Culicidae / Diptera / Dipteran vectors and associated diseases / Disease transmission / Entomology / Europe / Feeding behavior / Feeding habits / Female / Health aspects / Host-parasite relationships / Infectious Diseases / Meals / Mechanical transmission / Mechanical transmissions / Medical research / Medicine, Experimental / Mimicry / Mosquito Vectors - virology / Mosquitoes / pandemic / Pandemics / Parasitology / Public health / Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / RNA, Viral - analysis / RNA, Viral - isolation & purification / SARS-CoV-2 / SARS-CoV-2 - genetics / SARS-CoV-2 - physiology / Severe acute respiratory syndrome / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Sheep - blood / Short Report / Tropical Medicine / Vector competence / Vectors / Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science / Viral diseases / Virology / Viruses / World Health Organization