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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2020.04.28.066514

Field-deployable molecular diagnostic platform for arbovirus and Wolbachia detection in Aedes aegypti

Rutkowski, N. N.·Dong, Y.·Dimopoulos, G.
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Abstract

BackgroundSurveillance of mosquito infection status is critical for planning and deployment of proper mosquito control initiatives. Concurrently, Wolbachia is being widely used as a control method for arboviral transmission. Point-of-care (POC) detection assays are necessary for monitoring the infection prevalence and geographic range of viruses as well as Wolbachia in mosquito vector populations. We therefore assessed the novel qPCR bCUBE molecular diagnostic system as a tool for virus and Wolbachia detection. ResultsWe developed a reliable, specific, and sensitive diagnostic assay for detecting Zika virus and dengue virus serotype 2 using the real-time qPCR platform bCUBE. With bCUBE-based qRT-PCR, both Wolbachia bacterium and virus RNA could be reliably detected in individually infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes and in pools of 5, 10, or 15 mosquitoes. ConclusionsThe portable qPCR bCUBE diagnostic platform is capable of detecting Zika and dengue virus as well as Wolbachia in mosquitoes and therefore has potential as a practical field-deployable diagnostic test for vector-borne disease surveillance programs.

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Rutkowski, N. N., Dong, Y., Dimopoulos, G.. 2020-04-29. Field-deployable molecular diagnostic platform for arbovirus and Wolbachia detection in Aedes aegypti. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.28.066514

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