Author/Authors :
Djouaka, Rousseau AgroEcoHealth Platform - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cotonou, Benin , Zeukeng, Francis AgroEcoHealth Platform - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cotonou, Benin , Bigoga, Jude Daiga Faculty of Science - Department of Biochemistry - University of Yaounde I, Cameroon , Coulibaly, David Ngolo Department of Technics and Technology - Platform of Molecular Biology - Pasteur Institute Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire , Tchigossou, Genevieve AgroEcoHealth Platform - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cotonou, Benin , Akoton, Romaric AgroEcoHealth Platform - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cotonou, Benin , Aboubacar, Sylla Department of Technics and Technology - Platform of Molecular Biology - Pasteur Institute Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire , Jean-Eudes Tchebe, Sodjinin Faculty of Science and Techniques - University of Abomey-Calavi, Abomey-Calavi, Benin , Nantcho Nguepdjo, Clavella Faculty of Science - Department of Biochemistry - University of Yaounde I, Cameroon , Adeoti, Razack AgroEcoHealth Platform - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cotonou, Benin , Djegbe, Innocent AgroEcoHealth Platform - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cotonou, Benin , Tamo, Manuele AgroEcoHealth Platform - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cotonou, Benin , Fon Mbacham, Wilfred Faculty of Science - Department of Biochemistry - University of Yaounde I, Cameroon , Kakou-Ngazoa, Solange E Department of Technics and Technology - Platform of Molecular Biology - Pasteur Institute Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire , Ablordey, Anthony Department of Bacteriology - Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research - University of Ghana, Ghana
Abstract :
Background
Buruli ulcer (BU) continues to be a serious public health threat in wet tropical regions and the mode of transmission of its etiological agent, Mycobacterium ulcerans (MU), remains poorly understood. In this study, mosquito species collected in endemic villages in Benin were screened for the presence of MU. In addition, the ability of mosquitoes larvae to pick up MU from their environment and remain colonized through the larval developmental stages to the adult stage was investigated.
Methods
7,218 adults and larvae mosquitoes were sampled from endemic and nonendemic villages and screened for MU DNA targets (IS2404, IS2606, and KR-B) using qPCR. Results. MU was not detected in any of the field collected samples. Additional studies of artificially infected larvae of Anopheles kisumu with MU strains revealed that mosquitoes larvae are able to ingest and host MU during L1, L2, L3, and L4 developmental stages. However, we noticed an absence of these bacteria at both pupae and adult stages, certainly revealing the low ability of infected or colonized mosquitoes to vertically transmit MU to their offspring.
Conclusion
The overall findings highlight the low implication of mosquitoes as biological vectors in the transmission cycle of MU from the risk environments to humans.
