Tiger mosquito: two viruses newly transmitted from birds to humans

The tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is known to serve as the vector for several viruses that are pathogenic for humans. In mainland France, it was responsible for the first transmission of dengue, chikungunya and Zika. But there is little available information about the transmission of two other viruses, the West Nile and Usutu viruses. These viruses, which are transmitted by the mosquito Culex pipiens and particularly infect humans and birds, are on the rise in France: West Nile virus was first reported in Camargue back in the 1960s, while Usutu virus was reported in eastern France in 2015.

Scientists from the Institut Pasteur have demonstrated that the tiger mosquito, already a vector of diseases such as dengue and chikungunya, has become capable of transmitting the West Nile and Usutu viruses. This emergence may be surprising, but steps can already be taken to tackle it.

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