General Abstract Submission
Adult Control
The incompatible insect technique (IIT), in which males carrying Wolbachia strains are released to induce incompatible mating in wild Wolbachia-free female mosquitoes, is one of the currently implemented innovative method for suppression and control of Aedes aegypti populations. Quality control of the mass-reared production and field-release of Wolbachia infected mosquitoes is critical to ensure the success of the interventions using IIT. Here, we determine the presence and frequency of Wolbachia infection in male and female Ae. aegypti mosquitoes through several generations (F28-F33) under a mass-rearing system established at the Laboratory for Biological Control of Aedes aegypti of the Autonomous University of Yucatan (LCB-UADY). A total of 360 individuals Ae. aegypti mosquitoes divided in 180 males and 180 females were analyzed for the presence of Wolbachia wAlbB strain infection by end-point PCR using Wolbachia B strain specific primers. Our results showed that the Wolbachia wAlbB strain was stably maintained (100% Wolbachia genome positivity) along six generations (F28-F33) of both male and female Ae. aegypti mosquitoes reared under laboratory conditions. Further molecular analyses to determine the density of Wolbachia infection as well as DNA sequencing of the wsp gene to identify the potential variability of the Wolbachia wAlbB strain infecting Ae. aegypti through different generations will be performed. These results together will provide important information concerning the robustness and stability of Wolbachia wAlbB infection of Ae. aegypti maintained under mass-rearing conditions which is critical requirement for the potential establishment and implementation of biocontrol strategies (IIT or combined IIT-SIT) against Aedes-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.