REVIEW article
Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Molecular Viral Pathogenesis
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1718737
This article is part of the Research TopicMosquito-borne Diseases: Climate Change, Transmission Mechanism, Viruses, Symbiotic Bacteria, Epidemic Trend, Prevention and Control StrategiesView all articles
The making of a dangerous vector: factors shaping the vector competence of Aedes mosquitoes
Provisionally accepted
- 1Guangzhou Customs Technology Center, Guangzhou, China
- 2Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Customs District, Guangzhou, China
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Aedes mosquitoes are among the world's most significant arbovirus vectors, transmitting pathogens such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. However, key species like Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus exhibit notable differences in their vector competence, a trait of critical epidemiological importance. Vector competence is a complex phenotype, intrinsically defined by the efficiency with which a virus can overcome key tissue barriers, primarily the midgut and salivary glands. This review synthesizes the current understanding of the multifactorial drivers behind this variation. We present a comparative article reviewanalysis through a comparative analysis of focusing on intrinsic determinants—including the vector's genetic background, innate immunity, gut microbiota, and co-evolution with the virus, tissue barriers, and gut microbiota—and extrinsic factors, such as climatic conditions and anthropogenic pressures. By dissecting these mechanisms, this review provides a critical reference for assessing the epidemic risks of mosquito-borne diseases and aims to inform the development of more precise, next-generation vector control strategies.
Keywords: vector competence, Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, Chikungunya, Dengue, Arbovirus
Received: 04 Oct 2025; Accepted: 20 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wu, Wu, Wu, Cai, Hu, Lin and Liao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yang Wu, yangwu91@outlook.com
Ruyan Liao, liaoruyan2005@126.com
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