Papel potencial de Aedes albopictus Skuse en la transmisión de virus dengue (DENV) en una zona de actividad piñera de Costa Rica

Objective.  To  evaluate,  under  an  ecological  perspective,  the  presence  of  Aedes albopictus and the wild infection by dengue viruses (DENV) in an area of pineapple activity in Costa Rica.Materials and methods. Adult mosquitoes were collected in forest galleries limiting  pineapple  plantations,  houses  adjacent  to  plantations  (<1  km),  and  distant  houses  (1-10  km).  Shannon-Wiener  index  was  used  to  estimate  biodiversity. Larval infestation was evaluated in pineapple plants and houses, and aedic house (HI) and container (CI) indices were calculated. Detection of DENV in Ae. albopictus adults (bodies and heads) and larvae was performed by RT-PCR and sequencing.Results. A total 1376 adult mosquitoes were collected: Ae. albopictus (5.81%), Anopheles  apicimacula  (5.01%), Culex  coronator  (11.55%), Cx. inflictus (6.1%),   Cx.   nigripalpus   (48.11%),   Cx.   quinquefasciatus   (23.34%),   and   Limatus durhamii (0.07%). Biodiversity index was higher in forest galleries. Most adult Ae. albopictus were collected in forests close to pineapple fields (73/80),  although  only  2  larvae  were  detected  in  pineapple  plants.  Larval  indices  in  adjacent  houses  (HI:  40.7%,  CI:  26.9%)  and  distant  houses  (HI:  51.7%,  CI:  29.6%)  were  similar  (HI  Z=0.56,  p=0.58;  CI  Z=0.16,  p=0.87).  DENV-2 and DENV-3 were detected in 2/20 “pools” of Ae. albopictus heads and DENV-1 in 2/74 “pools” of larvae.Conclusion.  Forest  galleries  that  are  in  proximity  to  pineapple  plantations  could  be  considered  “ecological  islands”  that  are  suitable  for  refuge  of  Ae. albopictus. Presence of DENV in adults and larvae suggests an active role for Ae. albopictus in virus transmission within this ecosystem.