Transient Introgression of <i>Wolbachia</i> into <i>Aedes aegypti</i> Populations Does Not Elicit an Antibody Response to <i>Wolbachia</i> Surface Protein in Community Members

• Published in: Pathogens
• Main Authors: Elvina Lee, Tran Hien Nguyen, Thu Yen Nguyen, Sinh Nam Vu, Nhu Duong Tran, Le Trung Nghia, Quang Mai Vien, Thanh Dong Nguyen, Robson Kriiger Loterio, Iñaki Iturbe-Ormaetxe, Heather A. Flores, Scott L. O’Neill, Duc Anh Dang, Cameron P. Simmons, Johanna E. Fraser
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2022-05-01
• Subjects: <i>Wolbachia</i>; <i>Aedes aegypti</i>; vector biology; arbovirus; dengue virus
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/11/5/535
• ISSN: 2076-0817

<i>Wolbachia</i> is an endosymbiotic bacterium that can restrict the transmission of human pathogenic viruses by <i>Aedes aegypti</i> mosquitoes. Recent field trials have shown that dengue incidence is significantly reduced when <i>Wolbachia</i> is introgressed into the local <i>Ae. aegypti</i> population. Female <i>Ae. aegypti</i> are anautogenous and feed on human blood to produce viable eggs. Herein, we tested whether people who reside on Tri Nguyen Island (TNI), Vietnam developed antibodies to <i>Wolbachia</i> Surface Protein (WSP) following release of <i>Wolbachia</i>-infected <i>Ae. aegypti</i>, as a measure of exposure to <i>Wolbachia</i>. Paired blood samples were collected from 105 participants before and after mosquito releases and anti-WSP titres were measured by ELISA. We determined no change in anti-WSP titres after ~30 weeks of high levels of <i>Wolbachia</i>-<i>Ae. aegypti</i> on TNI. These data suggest that humans are not exposed to the major <i>Wolbachia</i> surface antigen, WSP, following introgression of <i>Wolbachia</i>-infected <i>Ae. aegypti</i> mosquitoes.