A major entomoparasite interferes with Chikungunya transmission by Aedes albopictus

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, spreads diseases like Chikungunya and has caused outbreaks worldwide. Studies show that mosquitoes-associated microbes can affect how well they spread diseases. One of those microbes, the parasite As. taiwanensis, is common in older mosquito populations but rare in newer ones. We found that this parasite slows down the spread of Chikungunya within the mosquito and decreases its transmission rate by half. Unparasitized mosquitoes spread the virus more easily, suggesting that changes in mosquito microbes could impact disease outbreaks and public health.