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Arboviruses belong to a group of viruses that are transmitted by arthropods,
mainly mosquitoes and ticks causing clinical disease symptoms in humans
and animals ranging from febrile illnesses to hemorrhagic fevers. The
present study aimed at examining the circulation of Chikungunya, Dengue,
Yellow fever and Rift valley fever viral genomes in Aedes mosquitoes from
Kyela district in Tanzania. A systematic vector surveillance spanning two
months and covering 5 sites in Kyela district was carried out in order to
evaluate the potential role of Aedes spp in arbovirus transmission in the
study area. Mosquitoes were collected, identified to species level by using
morphological keys, pooled in respect species and collection sites and
screened for arboviruses by RT-PCR. Adult mosquitoes were collected
from April to May, 2015 using CO
2
-baited CDC light traps, magnet traps
as well as human landing collection (HLC). The study sites included Kyela
town, Kajunjumele, Ipida, Matema and Njisi villages. A total of 480 bloodfeed
Aedes ssp were collected, identified and grouped in to 24 pools (1-20
mosquitoes per pool) according to species level and location. Out of the 480
Aedes spp collected, Aedes aegypti represented the most abundant species
totaling 338 (70.4%), followed by Aedes africanus 102 (21.2%) and Aedes
natalensis being the minority 40 (8.3%). Arboviruses were detected in 9
pools (37.5%) including Alphaviruses (8 pools) and Flaviviruses (1 pool).
No sample was positive for Bunyaviruses. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was
detected in 6 (75%) alphavirus positive pools that were collected mostly in
the areas where rice cultivation was common. The findings of this study
suggest that people from this region are highly likely to be exposed to
arbovirus infections which may represent significant public health concerns. |
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