1206 genomes reveal origin and movement of Aedes aegypti driving increased dengue risk

CRAWFORD, JACOB E.; BALCAZAR, DARIO; REDMOND, SETH; ROSE, NOAH H.; YOUD, HENRY A.; LUCAS, ERIC R.; ALI, RUSDIYAH SUDIRMAN MADE; ALNAZAWI, ASHWAQ; BADOLO, ATHANASE; CHEN, CHUN-HONG; COSME, LUCIANO V.; HENKE, JENNIFER A.; HUNG, KIM Y.; KLUH, SUSANNE; LIU, WEI-LIANG; MARINGER, KEVIN; MARTINS, ADEMIR; MICIELI, MARÍA VICTORIA; PLESS, EVLYN; SOMBIÉ, ABOUBACAR; SURENDRAN, SINNATHAMBY N.; WAHID, ISRA; ARMBRUSTER, PETER A.; WEETMAN, DAVID; MCBRIDE, CAROLYN S.; GLORIA-SORIA, ANDREA; POWELL, JEFFREY R.; WHITE, BRADLEY J.

SCIENCE

AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE

Año: 2025 vol. 389

0036-8075

The emergence and global expansion of Aedes aegypti putsmore than half of all humans at risk of arbovirus infection, butthe origin of this mosquito and the impact of contemporarygene flow on arbovirus control are unclear. We sequenced1206 genomes from 73 globally distributed locations. Afterevolving a preference for humans in Sahelian West Africa, theinvasive subspecies Ae. aegypti aegypti (Aaa) emerged inthe Americas after the Atlantic slave trade era and expandedglobally. Recent back-to-Africa Aaa migration introducedinsecticide resistance and anthropophily into regions withrecent dengue outbreaks, raising concern that Aaa movementcould increase arbovirus risk in urban Africa. These dataunderscore developing complexity in the fight against dengue,Zika, and chikungunya and provide a platform to further studythis important mosquito vector