Genetic Diversity of Aedes Aegypti Populations from Kisumu and Busia Counties, Western Kenya, and Their Vector Competence for Chikungunya Virus

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dc.contributor.authorAnyango Victor O.
dc.contributor.authorLangat Solomon
dc.contributor.authorMulwa Francis
dc.contributor.authorMutisya James
dc.contributor.authorKoka Hellen
dc.contributor.authorOkoyo Collins
dc.contributor.authorChepkorir Edith
dc.contributor.authorKonongoi Samson
dc.contributor.authorKaranja Anncarol
dc.contributor.authorKerubo Glennah
dc.contributor.authorSang Rosemary
dc.contributor.authorLutomiah Joel
dc.date.accessioned2025-05-12T08:23:59Z
dc.date.available2025-05-12T08:23:59Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.descriptionArticle
dc.description.abstractAedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti) is the primary vector of several arboviruses, including dengue virus (DENV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), yellow fever virus (YFV), and Zika virus (ZIKV). This vector is widespread globally in tropical and subtropical areas but also found in temperate areas. Kenya experienced its first chikungunya outbreak in Lamu County in 2004, followed by subsequent outbreaks in Mandera in 2016 and Mombasa in 2017. Despite the presence of Ae. aegypti in Kisumu and Busia counties, no outbreaks of chikungunya fever have been reported in these two western Kenya counties. To investigate this phenomenon, we collected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes from the county headquarter towns of Kisumu and Busia. The mosquitoes were reared under controlled laboratory conditions, and their genetic diversity assessed using COI gene sequences. Additionally, neutrality tests, including Tajima’s D and Fu’s FS, were subsequently performed to infer evolutionary dynamics. The mosquitoes were then evaluated for their ability to transmit CHIKV by challenging laboratory-reared F1 generations of field-collected mosquitoes with an infectious blood meal containing CHIKV. Genetic analysis revealed the presence of both Ae. aegypti subspecies, (Ae. aegypti aegypti [Aaa] and Ae. aegypti formosus [Aaf]) in the two western Kenya counties, with Aaf being dominant (19:8 for Kisumu samples and 25:6 for Busia samples). The populations exhibited high haplotype diversity (0.96011 in Kisumu and 0.93763 in Busia) and low nucleotide diversity (0.00913 in Kisumu and 0.00757 in Busia), indicating significant genetic polymorphism at the loci examined. Additionally, negative neutrality tests, including Tajima’s D (-1.87530 for Kisumu and -1.09547 for Busia) and Fu’s FS (-10.223 for Kisumu and -15.249 for Busia), coupled with a smooth mismatch distribution, suggest that recent evolutionary events may have significantly shaped the genetic structure of these populations. The assessment of vector competence of Ae. aegypti populations from Kisumu and Busia counties revealed their capacity to support CHIKV transmission. Specifically, we demonstrated infection, dissemination, and transmission
dc.description.sponsorshipKenya government through the National Research Fund (NRF) Kenya
dc.identifier.citationAnyango VO, Langat S, Mulwa F, Mutisya J, Koka H, Okoyo C, et al. (2025) Genetic diversity of Aedes aegypti populations from Kisumu and Busia counties, western Kenya, and their vector competence for chikungunya virus. PLoS ONE 20(3): e0289191. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0289191
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289191
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/30049
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherPLoS ONE
dc.titleGenetic Diversity of Aedes Aegypti Populations from Kisumu and Busia Counties, Western Kenya, and Their Vector Competence for Chikungunya Virus
dc.typeArticle
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