Traditionally, we’ve focused on preventing mosquito bites. But now, researchers are asking a crucial question: What happens when the dengue virus passes from mosquito to mosquito? Through vertical transmission — where a mother mosquito passes the virus to her offspring—could baby mosquitoes also spread dengue? If so, we’re facing a new threat and have to develop new strategies against this new enemy, baby mosquitos!
How Does the Dengue Virus Work?
Let’s first examine how the dengue virus causes disease in humans.
The Dengue virus typically persists through horizontal transmission. The virus is transmitted into human body through infected female mosquitoes (primarily Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus).
However, in harsh conditions—such as a lack of human hosts or extreme weather—the virus can use vertical transmission (from mother mosquitoes to baby mosquitoes) to survive.
This survival tactic could make controlling dengue even more challenging, especially with climate change. As living environments and weather conditions shift dramatically, mosquito behaviors and ranges are becoming unpredictable. Global researchers emphasise the importance of expanding our knowledge about dengue virus in general and their transmission in particularly to develop better prevention strategies and more effective, efficient public health responses.
Why Did Collab Lab Choose This Project?
While the World Health Organization lists dengue fever among the top 10 serious global health threats, Vietnam faces the alarming complicated dengue situation.(1) In recent years, we’ve faced two major dengue outbreaks, with a record 367,729 cases reported in 2022 alone, an all-time high.(2)
Read the full story on the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) website.