Trouble from the tiger: first detection of dengue virus in Aedes albopictus in Australia during a 2024 dengue outbreak on Masig Island.

Authors

Mutizwa Odwell Muzari, Melissa C Graham, Gerhard Ehlers, Rodney Bellwood, Joseph Davis, Dunstan Peniyamina, Gregor J Devine, Brian J Johnson

Published in

Parasites & vectors. Jul 04, 2026. Epub Jul 04, 2026.

Abstract

Dengue is not endemic in Australia and outbreaks occur occasionally after viraemic travellers visit parts of Queensland where dengue vectors are prevalent. Prior to 2016, Aedes aegypti was the primary vector of dengue in Australia. However, several dengue outbreaks have occurred more recently on islands in the Torres Strait region where Ae. aegypti has been displaced by Aedes albopictus following its first detection in the islands in 2005.
In November 2024, adult female Ae. albopictus were collected during a dengue outbreak on Masig Island where Ae. aegypti is now absent after displacement by Ae. albopictus. Collected mosquitoes were pooled and screened for the presence of dengue virus by qRT-PCR and direct RNA sequencing.
Dengue virus RNA was detected by qRT-PCR in 9 of 12 mosquito pools. RNA sequencing of three positive pools confirmed the virus as belonging to dengue serotype 3 (DENV-3), consistent with the clinical serotype identified during the 2024 outbreak. Sequencing further detected four insect-specific viruses, including Bio Sioux River virus, reported in Australia for the first time.
These results represent the first detection and whole genome sequencing of dengue virus in Ae. albopictus collected in Australia. The detection of DENV-3 RNA in Ae. albopictus during a concurrent outbreak of the same serotype in the absence of Ae. aegypti supports the ability of Ae. albopictus to drive independent dengue outbreaks. The findings confirm the risk of dengue outbreaks in mainland Australia if Ae. albopictus were to invade and expand beyond its current distribution in the Torres Strait.

PMID:
42401942
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 05 Jul 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.