Abstracto
- The presence of dengue viruses was evaluated in pools of Aedes albopictus collected adjacent to an organic pineapple plantation. Retrotranscription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed in 35 pools of 20 mosquito bodies each (32 female and 3 male pools). Pools of mosquito heads were analyzed only when the corresponding bodies were RT-PCR positive. Eight (25%) pools of female bodies contained dengue virus RNA, as did two of the corresponding head pools. One (33%) pool of male bodies was positive, but the corresponding pool of heads was negative. The overall minimum infection rate was 12.86. Sequencing of the RT-PCR fragments obtained from a five of the positive Ae. albopictus pools confirmed the presence of DENV-1, DENV-2 and DENV-4. This is the first report of dengue virus in Ae. albopictus of Central America, although more investigations are required to determine if this species may be involved in the local transmission cycle.