Impacts of Urbanization on Vector Biology and Transmission of Dengue in China. Dengue is a major public health problem in southern China. In recent years, the epidemic interval of Dengue outbreaks in southern China has become shorter and the epidemic area is expanding. Because Dengue epidemics coincide with rapid urbanization in China as a result of economic development, it has been suggested that urbanization creates favorable conditions for the survival and reproduction of Dengue vectors and for the transmission of Dengue virus. This application tests the central hypothesis that environmental changes resulting from urbanization affect the biology and vectorial capacity of Aedes albopictus, the major Dengue vector in southern China. We will further examine the molecular epidemiology of the Dengue virus in urban areas for major outbreaks in Guangzhou city in the past two decades. The long-term goal of this research is to determine the mechanisms of Dengue epidemics in urban environments and to develop effective prevention and control methods. We have designed the following two specific aims. First, we will determine the impact of urbanization on the larval and adult ecology of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, the sole Dengue vector in the Guangzhou area where the present study will be conducted.
This aim will test the hypothesis that urbanization creates favorable conditions for the survivorship and development of Aedes albopictus larvae and subsequently, increases the abundance of the Dengue vector. Second, we will determine the transmission patterns of Dengue virus in urban environments.
This aim will test the hypothesis that Dengue outbreaks are associated with the introduction and circulation of new serotypes or genotypes of Dengue virus, and that vector competence of Ae. albopictus varies among Dengue viral serotypes and genotypes, and thus the most favored DENV serotype/genotype may become the epidemic type. The proposed research takes advantage of the unique Dengue epidemiological and vector population situations in Guangzhou, China where frequent Dengue outbreaks have occurred and Ae. albopictus is actively breeding in the urban environment. This research will significantly enhance our understanding of Dengue transmission in urban areas, and contribute to the development of effective surveillance and control programs of Dengue in China.

Public Health Relevance

Dengue causes a major public health problem in China;however the mechanisms for increased frequencies and magnitude of Dengue are not clear. The present proposal will use to test the central hypothesis that environmental changes resulting from urbanization affect the biology and vectorial capacity of Ae. albopictus, the major vector of Dengue virus in southern China. The result of this research will be useful to determine the mechanisms of Dengue epidemics and develop effective prevention and control methods for Dengue.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
4R01AI083202-04
Application #
8499166
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-IDM-R (50))
Program Officer
Costero, Adriana
Project Start
2010-07-01
Project End
2014-06-30
Budget Start
2013-07-01
Budget End
2014-06-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$95,816
Indirect Cost
$6,322
Name
Southern Medical University
Department
Type
DUNS #
529498615
City
Guangzhou
State
Country
China
Zip Code
51051-5
Li, Yiji; Xu, Jiabao; Zhong, Daibin et al. (2018) Evidence for multiple-insecticide resistance in urban Aedes albopictus populations in southern China. Parasit Vectors 11:4
Liu, Zhuanzhuan; Zhou, Tengfei; Lai, Zetian et al. (2017) Competence of Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus Mosquitoes as Zika Virus Vectors, China. Emerg Infect Dis 23:1085-1091
Liu, Zhuanzhuan; Zhang, Zhenhong; Lai, Zetian et al. (2017) Temperature Increase Enhances Aedes albopictus Competence to Transmit Dengue Virus. Front Microbiol 8:2337
Liu, Hongmei; Liu, Tong; Xie, Lihua et al. (2016) Functional analysis of Orco and odorant receptors in odor recognition in Aedes albopictus. Parasit Vectors 9:363
Li, Yiji; Su, Xinghua; Zhou, Guofa et al. (2016) Comparative evaluation of the efficiency of the BG-Sentinel trap, CDC light trap and Mosquito-oviposition trap for the surveillance of vector mosquitoes. Parasit Vectors 9:446
Zhong, Daibin; Wang, Xiaoming; Xu, Tielong et al. (2016) Effects of Microclimate Condition Changes Due to Land Use and Land Cover Changes on the Survivorship of Malaria Vectors in China-Myanmar Border Region. PLoS One 11:e0155301
Xu, Jiabao; Bonizzoni, Mariangela; Zhong, Daibin et al. (2016) Multi-country Survey Revealed Prevalent and Novel F1534S Mutation in Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel (VGSC) Gene in Aedes albopictus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 10:e0004696
Shen, Ji Chuan; Luo, Lei; Li, Li et al. (2015) The Impacts of Mosquito Density and Meteorological Factors on Dengue Fever Epidemics in Guangzhou, China, 2006-2014: a Time-series Analysis. Biomed Environ Sci 28:321-9
Chen, Xiao-Guang; Jiang, Xuanting; Gu, Jinbao et al. (2015) Genome sequence of the Asian Tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, reveals insights into its biology, genetics, and evolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112:E5907-15
Luo, Lei; Li, Xiaoning; Xiao, Xincai et al. (2015) Identification of Aedes albopictus larval index thresholds in the transmission of dengue in Guangzhou, China. J Vector Ecol 40:240-6

Showing the most recent 10 out of 22 publications