Population Genetics of Two Key Mosquito Vectors of Rift Valley Fever Virus Reveals New Insights into the Changing Disease Outbreak Patterns in Kenya

Rift Valley fever (RVF) outbreaks in Kenya have increased in frequency and range to include northeastern Kenya where viruses are increasingly being isolated from known (Aedes mcintoshi) and newly-associated (Ae. ochraceus) vectors. The factors contributing to these changing outbreak patterns are unclear and the population genetic structure of key vectors and/or specific virus-vector associations, in particular, are under-studied. By conducting mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analyses on >220 Kenyan specimens of Ae. mcintoshi and Ae. ochraceus, we uncovered high levels of vector complexity which may partly explain the disease outbreak pattern. Results indicate that Ae. mcintoshi consists of a species complex with one of the member species being unique to the newly-established RVF outbreak-prone northeastern region of Kenya, whereas Ae. ochraceus is a homogeneous population that appears to be undergoing expansion. Characterization of specimens from a RVF-prone site in Senegal, where Ae. ochraceus is a primary vector, revealed direct genetic links between the two Ae. ochraceus populations from both countries. Our data strongly suggest that unlike Ae. mcintoshi, Ae. ochraceus appears to be a relatively recent, single 'introduction' into Kenya. These results, together with increasing isolations from this vector, indicate that Ae. ochraceus will likely be of greater epidemiological importance in future RVF outbreaks in Kenya. Furthermore, the overall vector complexity calls into question the feasibility of mosquito population control approaches reliant on genetic modification.

• Publication year

  2014

• Venue

  PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases

• Publication date

  2014-12-01

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003364PMID 25474018PMCID 4256213
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• Ae. ochraceus appears to be a relatively recent single introduction into Kenya and is likely to become more epidemiologically important in future RVF outbreaks there.

  Confidence 0.93

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review
• Ae. ochraceus specimens from Kenya and Senegal show direct genetic links between the two country populations.

  Confidence 0.95

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review
• Ae. ochraceus in Kenya is a homogeneous population that appears to be undergoing expansion.

  Confidence 0.97

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review
• Ae. mcintoshi in Kenya consists of a species complex, with one member species confined to the newly established RVF outbreak-prone northeastern region.

  Confidence 0.98

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review

• ae. mcintoshi

  species, vector

  A mosquito species in the Aedes genus that is one of the two RVF-associated vectors examined in Kenyan and Senegalese specimens.

  Aliases: Aedes mcintoshi

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review
• ae. ochraceus

  species, vector

  A mosquito species in the Aedes genus that was analyzed as an RVF vector in Kenyan and Senegalese specimens.

  Aliases: Aedes ochraceus

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review
• direct genetic links

  evidence, relationship

  Genetic evidence indicating close relatedness between mosquito populations from different countries.

  Aliases: genetic links

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review
• epidemiological importance

  public health concept

  The expected contribution of a mosquito vector to future Rift Valley fever transmission risk.

  Aliases: future epidemiological importance

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review
• homogeneous population

  population structure

  A population with low genetic subdivision across sampled individuals.

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review
• northeastern kenya

  geographic region

  The newly established Rift Valley fever outbreak-prone region of Kenya sampled in the vector genetic analyses.

  Aliases: northeastern region of Kenya

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review
• population expansion

  demographic process

  A demographic pattern in which a population increases in size over time.

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review
• senegal population

  population, sample set

  The Ae. ochraceus sample set collected from a Rift Valley fever-prone site in Senegal for comparison with Kenyan specimens.

  Aliases: Senegal specimens

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review
• single introduction into kenya

  evolutionary scenario

  A colonization scenario in which Ae. ochraceus entered Kenya once rather than through multiple independent introductions.

  Aliases: recent single introduction

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review
• species complex

  taxonomic unit

  A group of closely related but genetically distinct lineages within a nominal mosquito species.

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (12632b8b5f) review

• Common Host-Derived Chemicals Increase Catches of Disease-Transmitting Mosquitoes and Can Improve Early Warning Systems for Rift Valley Fever Virus

  2013influential reference
• Evidence of Habitat Structuring Aedes albopictus Populations in Réunion Island

  2013cited by this paper
• Abundance, Diversity, and Distribution of Mosquito Vectors in Selected Ecological Regions of Kenya: Public Health Implications

  2013cited by this paper
• Biological Identifications Through DNA Barcodes

  2012cited by this paper
• A new algorithm quantifies the roles of wind and midge flight activity in the bluetongue epizootic in northwest Europe

  2012influential reference
• Sheep Skin Odor Improves Trap Captures of Mosquito Vectors of Rift Valley Fever

  2012influential reference
• Phylogeography of the medically important mosquito Aedes (Ochlerotatus) vigilax (Diptera: Culicidae) in Australasia

  2012cited by this paper
• A Cryptic Subgroup of Anopheles gambiae Is Highly Susceptible to Human Malaria Parasites

  2011cited by this paper
• Arbovirus Prevalence in Mosquitoes, Kenya

  2011cited by this paper
• Genetic monitoring detects an overlooked cryptic species and reveals the diversity and distribution of three invasive Rattus congeners in south Africa

  2011cited by this paper
• MEGA5: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis using maximum likelihood, evolutionary distance, and maximum parsimony methods.

  2011cited by this paper
• Revisiting the insect mitochondrial molecular clock: the mid-Aegean trench calibration.

  2010cited by this paper
• Rift Valley fever outbreak in livestock in Kenya, 2006-2007.

  2010cited by this paper
• An investigation of a major outbreak of Rift Valley fever in Kenya: 2006-2007.

  2010cited by this paper
• Rift Valley fever in Kenya: history of epizootics and identification of vulnerable districts

  2010influential reference
• Present and future arboviral threats.

  2010cited by this paper
• Rift Valley fever virus epidemic in Kenya, 2006/2007: the entomologic investigations.

  2010influential reference
• Mitochondrial DNA as a marker of molecular diversity: a reappraisal

  2009cited by this paper
• APPLICATION OF BIOCHEMICAL GENETICS TO GENETICALLY CHARACTERIZE MOSQUITO VECTORS

  2009cited by this paper
• Phylogenetic analysis and temporal diversification of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) based on nuclear genes and morphology

  2009cited by this paper
• Molecular Genetic Investigation of Morphological Species of Members of the Neomelaniconion Subgenus (Diptera: Culicidae: Aedini) From Madagascar Using Ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer 2

  2009cited by this paper
• Genetic structure of Aedes aegypti in the city of Córdoba (Argentina), a recently reinfested area.

  2009influential reference
• Mitochondrial pseudogenes in the nuclear genome of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes: implications for past and future population genetic studies

  2009cited by this paper
• DnaSP v5: a software for comprehensive analysis of DNA polymorphism data

  2009cited by this paper
• Interepidemic Rift Valley Fever Virus Seropositivity, Northeastern Kenya

  2008cited by this paper
• Why Arboviruses Can Be Neglected Tropical Diseases

  2008cited by this paper
• The biogeography and population genetics of neotropical vector species

  2007cited by this paper
• A curious coincidence: mosquito biodiversity and the limits of the Japanese encephalitis virus in Australasia

  2007cited by this paper
• Spectrum of Rift Valley fever virus transmission in Kenya: insights from three distinct regions.

  2007cited by this paper
• Relaxed Phylogenetics and Dating with Confidence

  2006influential reference
• Identifying Canadian mosquito species through DNA barcodes

  2006cited by this paper
• DNA Barcoding: Error Rates Based on Comprehensive Sampling

  2005cited by this paper
• MrModeltest 2.2. Program Distributed by the Author

  2004cited by this paper
• The evolution of molecular markers — just a matter of fashion?

  2004cited by this paper
• MUSCLE: multiple sequence alignment with high accuracy and high throughput.

  2004cited by this paper
• PAUP* [Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony (and Other Methods)]

  2004cited by this paper
• Evolutionary conservation and versatility of a new set of primers for amplifying the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions in insects and other invertebrates

  2003cited by this paper
• Rift Valley fever: an uninvited zoonosis in the Arabian peninsula.

  2003cited by this paper
• Biological identifications through DNA barcodes

  2003cited by this paper
• MrBayes 3: Bayesian phylogenetic inference under mixed models

  2003cited by this paper
• An Outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in Northeastern Kenya, 1997-98

  2002cited by this paper
• PAUP*: Phylogenetic analysis using parsimony (*and other methods), Version 4.0b10

  2002cited by this paper
• Arbovirus Surveillance from 1990 to 1995 in the Barkedji Area (Ferlo) of Senegal, a Possible Natural Focus of Rift Valley Fever Virus

  2001cited by this paper
• Phylogenetic signal common to three data sets: Combining data which initially appear heterogeneous

  2000cited by this paper
• Phylogeography — The History and Formation of Species

  2000cited by this paper
• TCS: a computer program to estimate gene genealogies

  2000cited by this paper
• Median-joining networks for inferring intraspecific phylogenies.

  1999cited by this paper
• New vectors of Rift Valley fever in West Africa.

  1998cited by this paper
• Systematics of mosquito disease vectors (Diptera, Culicidae): impact of molecular biology and cladistic analysis.

  1997cited by this paper
• Statistical tests of neutrality of mutations against population growth, hitchhiking and background selection.

  1997cited by this paper
• Mosquitoes of southern Africa: Culicinae and Toxorhynchitinae.

  1996cited by this paper
• DNA primers for amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I from diverse metazoan invertebrates.

  1994cited by this paper
• Evolution, weighting, and phylogenetic utility of mitochondrial gene sequences and a compilation of conserved polymerase chain reaction primers

  1994cited by this paper
• Signature of ancient population growth in a low-resolution mitochondrial DNA mismatch distribution.

  1994cited by this paper
• CLUSTAL W: improving the sensitivity of progressive multiple sequence alignment through sequence weighting, position-specific gap penalties and weight matrix choice.

  1994cited by this paper
• Rapid morphological radiation and convergence among races of the butterfly Heliconius erato inferred from patterns of mitochondrial DNA evolution.

  1994cited by this paper
• An Empirical Test of Bootstrapping as a Method for Assessing Confidence in Phylogenetic Analysis

  1993cited by this paper
• A cladistic analysis of phenotypic associations with haplotypes inferred from restriction endonuclease mapping and DNA sequence data. III. Cladogram estimation.

  1992cited by this paper
• Species-diagnostic differences in a ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer from the sibling species Anopheles freeborni and Anopheles hermsi (Diptera:Culicidae).

  1991cited by this paper
• Biosystematics of Aedes (Neomelaniconion)

  1990cited by this paper
• Statistical method for testing the neutral mutation hypothesis by DNA polymorphism.

  1989cited by this paper
• Intraspecific Phylogeography: The Mitochondrial DNA Bridge Between Population Genetics and Systematics

  1987cited by this paper
• A New African Species of Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae)l

  1985cited by this paper
• Rift Valley fever virus (family Bunyaviridae, genus Phlebovirus). Isolations from Diptera collected during an inter-epizootic period in Kenya

  1985cited by this paper
• Possible vectors of Rift Valley fever in Kenya.

  1980cited by this paper
• Observations on the epidemiology of Rift Valley fever in Kenya

  1975cited by this paper
• A note on the biting behaviour of the mosquito, Aedes ochraceus, in a village in Kenya.

  1962cited by this paper
• Mosquitoes of the Ethiopian Region

  1941cited by this paper
• Mosquitoes of the Ethiopian Region. HI. - Culicine Adults and Pupae.

  1941cited by this paper
• Enzootic hepatitis or rift valley fever. An undescribed virus disease of sheep cattle and man from east africa

  1931cited by this paper

• A systematic review and meta-analysis of mosquito arboviral infections detected through xenosurveillance in Africa: A focus on West Nile, Rift Valley fever, and chikungunya virus infections.

  2026cites this paper
• Sensitivity analysis of factors influencing the ecology of mosquitoes involved in the transmission of Rift Valley fever virus

  2026cites this paper
• A Scoping Review of Mosquito Vector Range Shifts: Widespread Expansions and Evidence Gaps in Climate Attribution

  2025cites this paper
• A systematic review of climate-change driven range shifts in mosquito vectors

  2025cites this paper
• Factors for arboviral seropositivity in children in Teso South Sub County, Kenya

  2025cites this paper
• Risk factors for arboviral seropositivity in children in Teso South Sub County, Western Kenya

  2023influential citation
• Evidence for circulation of Rift Valley fever virus in wildlife and domestic animals in a forest environment in Gabon, Central Africa

  2023cites this paper
• Morphological and Molecular Characterization Using Genitalia and CoxI Barcode Sequence Analysis of Afrotropical Mosquitoes with Arbovirus Vector Potential

  2022cites this paper
• Survival rate, blood feeding habits and sibling species composition of Aedes simpsoni complex: Implications for arbovirus transmission risk in East Africa

  2022cites this paper
• Afrotropical sand fly-host plant relationships in a leishmaniasis endemic area, Kenya

  2021cites this paper
• Aedes species (Diptera: Culicidae) ecological and host feeding patterns in the north-eastern parts of South Africa, 2014–2018

  2021influential citation
• The scope of Rp EPIC markers in population genetic studies: a preliminary study with dengue vectors

  2020cites this paper
• Large herbivore loss has complex effects on mosquito ecology and vector-borne disease risk.

  2020cites this paper
• Mosquitoes of Etiological Concern in Kenya

  2020cites this paper
• A Preliminary Investigation on the Population Genetic Structure of Etroplus canarensis Day, 1877 of the Western Ghats, India

  2019cites this paper
• A previously unreported potential malaria vector in a dry ecology of Kenya

  2019cites this paper
• An Overview of the Most Significant Zoonotic Viral Pathogens Transmitted from Animal to Human in Saudi Arabia

  2019cites this paper
• Host species and site of collection shape the microbiota of Rift Valley fever vectors in Kenya

  2019cites this paper
• Mosquitoes of Etiological Concern in Kenya and Possible Control Strategies

  2019cites this paper
• Seroprevalence of Yellow Fever, Dengue, West Nile and Chikungunya Viruses in Children in Teso South Sub County, Western Kenya.

  2019cites this paper
• Predicting Abundances of Aedes mcintoshi, a primary Rift Valley fever virus mosquito vector

  2019cites this paper
• Tracking the Origins of Fly Invasions; Using Mitochondrial Haplotype Diversity to Identify Potential Source Populations in Two Genetically Intertwined Fruit Fly Species (Bactrocera carambolae and Bactrocera dorsalis [Diptera: Tephritidae]).

  2018cites this paper
• Rift Valley Fever Virus—How and Where Virus Is Maintained During Inter-epidemic Periods

  2018cites this paper
• Systematic literature review of Rift Valley fever virus seroprevalence in livestock, wildlife and humans in Africa from 1968 to 2016

  2018cites this paper
• Host plant forensics and olfactory-based detection in Afro-tropical mosquito disease vectors

  2018cites this paper
• Distribution and abundance of key vectors of Rift Valley fever and other arboviruses in two ecologically distinct counties in Kenya

  2017cites this paper
• Rift Valley Fever Seroprevalence in Coastal Kenya.

  2017cites this paper
• Landscape Genetics of Aedes mcintoshi (Diptera: Culicidae), an Important Vector of Rift Valley Fever Virus in Northeastern Kenya

  2017influential citation
• Microgeographic Population Structuring of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) from São Paulo, Brazil

  2017cites this paper
• Modeling Approaches to Investigating Distributions, Abundances, and Connectivity of Mosquito Vector Species

  2016influential citation
• Molecular identification and genetic structure of Aedes phoeniciae (Diptera: Culicidae) in Northern Cyprus and Turkey

  2016cites this paper
• Caracterização genética de populações de Aedes fluviatilis de parques municipais em São Paulo, utilizando marcadores microssatélites

  2016cites this paper
• Plant resting site preferences and parity rates among the vectors of Rift Valley Fever in northeastern Kenya

  2016cites this paper
• Has Rift Valley fever virus evolved with increasing severity in human populations in East Africa?

  2016cites this paper
• Vector competence of Aedes vexans (Meigen), Culex poicilipes (Theobald) and Cx. quinquefasciatus Say from Senegal for West and East African lineages of Rift Valley fever virus

  2016influential citation
• Population Genetic Structure of Aedes fluviatilis (Diptera: Culicidae)

  2016cites this paper
• Composition and Genetic Diversity of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) on Islands and Mainland Shores of Kenya’s Lakes Victoria and Baringo

  2016cites this paper
• Distribution Pattern and Genetic Structure of Aedes zammitii (Diptera: Culicidae) along the Mediterranean and Aegean Coasts of Turkey

  2016cites this paper
• Distribution and diversity of the vectors of Rift Valley fever along the livestock movement routes in the northeastern and coastal regions of Kenya

  2015cites this paper