Detection of transovarial dengue virus from field-caught Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus larvae using C6/36 cell culture and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques

Abstract

Larvae of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus were collected from a wide variety of artificial containers. Most samples were collected from used tyres and water-holding containers located in residential urban or rural areas. The identified mosquito larvae were pooled according to the species, date and locality and stored at -70 °C. A total of 378 of pools of Ae. aegypti and 553 pools of Ae. albopictus were collected. Virus isolation was carried out using cell culture (C6/36 done) of Ae. albopictus and virus detection by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Transovarial transmission of dengue virus was demonstrated in both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus in nature. Infected larvae were recovered from 16 localities (10 in Terengganu; 5 in Kuala Lumpur and 1 in Pahang). The study showed that both the cell culture and RT-PCR techniques can be used to detect dengue virus from mosquito larvae.