#11,821
While the science is far from settled, the debate over whether non-Aedes mosquitoes can transmit the Zika virus has quieted down in recent weeks after a series of conflicting studies were published. Among the entries in the Culex-Zika sweepstakes:
PLoS NTD: Culex quinquefasciatus Not Competent To Transmit Zika Virus
BioRxIv: Zika Virus Replication In Culex Quinquefasciatus In Brazil
Essentially, whatever your position on this issue, you can find a study to support it.
Culex mosquitoes have been experimentally infected with the Zika virus, and last summer Brazil's FIOCRUZ Institute announced they had detected naturally Zika infected Culex mosquitoes in the wild.
But neither finding proves that Culex mosquitoes are a competent vector for the virus. Still, scientists never like to say `never'.
Overnight, the Vietnamese media has been filled with reports that the Zika virus has been isolated by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in a very small percentage (0.3%) of `wild midges' sampled in Nha Trang.
The Google translation of the phrase `trong muỗi vằn tự nhiên' returns `in natural midges' while the truncated `muỗi vằn tự nhiên ' returns `Culex mosquitoes naturally'.
Both descriptive phrases are being used in these media reports, but it seems likely they are referring to their local Culex mosquito species.
Again, while interesting (and potentially important), the detection of the Zika virus in wild Culex mosquitoes doesn't automatically implicate them in the transmission of the virus.
Saturday, 15.10.2016, 18:45 PM
(Tieudung24h.vn) - A survey of the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology showed that viral Zika pretty much hidden midges.
Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology has summed up the survey to learn about viral Zika, in total nearly 24,000 female Culex natural form in Nha Trang City (Khanh Hoa), detected 56 children brought Zika virus, accounting for approximately 0 , 3%.
Also, there are 29 children tested positive for dengue virus causes hemorrhagic fever , accounting for 0.12% rate.
TTU April so far has recorded 9 Zika patients in 5 provinces.
