The effect of temperature and humidity on dengue virus propagation in Aedes aegypti mosquitos

Abstract

The effect of temperature and relative humidity on dengue virus propagation in the mosquito as one of the possible contributing factors to dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) outbreaks was studied. Ae. aegypti mosquitos were reared under standard conditions and inoculated intrathoracically with dengue virus. Virus propagation in the mosquitos was determined at the temperature and relative humidity of all 3 seasons of Yangon and for the simulated temperature and relative humidity of Singapore. The virus propagation was detected by direct fluorescent antibody technique (DFAT) with mosquito head squash and the virus titer was determined by plaque forming unit test (PFUT) in baby hamster kidney-21 cells. The results show that the infected mosquitos kept under the conditions of the rainy season and under the simulated conditions of Singapore had a significantly higher virus titer (p=<0.05) when compared with the other 2 seasons of Yangon. So it is thought that the temperature and relative humidity of the rainy season of Yangon and that of Singapore favors dengue virus propagation in the mosquito and is one of the contributing factors to the occurence of DHF outbreaks.