Native Wolbachia infection dynamics across Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) populations in Hawai'i.
8 affiliations
- 1Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Vero Beach, FL, USA.
- 2Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
- 3Pacific Islands Fish & Wildlife Office, Honolulu, HI, USA.
- 4Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI, USA.
- 5Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Honolulu, HI, USA.
- 6Hawaii Department of Health, Hilo, HI, USA.
- 7School of Biological Science, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
- 8Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Vero Beach, FL, USA. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Aedes albopictus, an important vector of arboviruses, such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika, is a widespread invasive mosquito species in the Pacific Islands Countries and Territories, including Hawai'i. Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium, widely used for mosquito control through its cytoplasmic incompatibility and pathogen blocking properties. Two Wolbachia strains, wAlbA and wAlbB, naturally inhabit Aedes albopictus unlike Aedes aegypti. However, their infection patterns in Hawai'i remain poorly characterized and may influence the success of future Wolbachia-based control efforts.Methods
Using quantitative PCR, we characterized the Wolbachia infection status of Ae. albopictus collected from two Hawaiian Islands: O'ahu and the Island of Hawai'i. We assessed the influence of sex, island, temperature, and precipitation on the prevalence and density of wAlbA and wAlbB, as well as interactions between the two strains.Results
Overall, 98.5% (N = 399) of individuals were infected with Wolbachia. All infected specimens carried wAlbB, but only 28.6% were superinfected with wAlbA. Infection dynamics were strongly sex-specific, with females significantly more likely to harbor wAlbA, and Wolbachia density was also significantly higher in females. The prevalence of wAlbA was associated with island and precipitation at the collection site. However, wAlbB prevalence did not vary significantly with sex, island, or climatic variables. In superinfected individuals, wAlbB consistently exhibited higher density than wAlbA, while wAlbB density was higher in superinfected individuals than in those with wAlbB mono-infection. Interestingly, both strains showed higher densities in females than in males. Strain densities were positively correlated in females but not in males, indicating sex-specific interactions.Conclusions
By characterizing the Wolbachia infection dynamics of Ae. albopictus populations in Hawai'i, these findings establish an important baseline for biocontrol efforts. We demonstrate that Ae. albopictus mosquitoes in Hawai'i were either superinfected or carry only wAlbB, with lower-than-expected wAlbA infection, which may complicate the design and effectiveness of Wolbachia-based control strategies. Our results highlight that future population suppression projects involving Wolbachia and cytoplasmic incompatibility in Hawai'i must take into account varying patterns of Wolbachia infection in the region prior to biocontrol strategy development and implementation.
Related
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- Genetic Dynamics and Dispersion Pattern Changes in Aedes aegypti Populations (Diptera: Culicidae) in Yunnan Province, China, over Three Consecutive Years.
- Bacterial immune priming and Wolbachia-mediated dengue blocking in Aedes albopictus mosquitoes
- Genetic diversity and morphology of South Korean Aedes koreicus (Diptera: Culicidae) provide insights into the origin of European populations.
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BibTeX
@article{seok2026native,
title = {{Native Wolbachia infection dynamics across Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) populations in Hawai'i.}},
author = {Sangwoo Seok and Leena Salama and Adam E Vorsino and Mark K H Leong and William P Haines and Christopher M Jacobsen and Omar S Akbari and Eric P Caragata and Yoosook Lee},
journal = {Parasites \& vectors},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1186/s13071-026-07695-5},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850662},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Native Wolbachia infection dynamics across Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) populations in Hawai'i.
AU - Sangwoo Seok
AU - Leena Salama
AU - Adam E Vorsino
AU - Mark K H Leong
AU - William P Haines
AU - Christopher M Jacobsen
AU - Omar S Akbari
AU - Eric P Caragata
AU - Yoosook Lee
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/17
JO - Parasites & vectors
DO - 10.1186/s13071-026-07695-5
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850662
AB - Background Aedes albopictus, an important vector of arboviruses, such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika, is a widespread invasive mosquito species in the Pacific Islands Countries and Territories, including Hawai'i. Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium, widely used for mosquito control through its cytoplasmic incompatibility and pathogen blocking properties. Two Wolbachia strains, wAlbA and wAlbB, naturally inhabit Aedes albopictus unlike Aedes aegypti. However, their infection patterns in Hawai'i remain poorly characterized and may influence the success of future Wolbachia-based control efforts.Methods Using quantitative PCR, we characterized the Wolbachia infection status of Ae. albopictus collected from two Hawaiian Islands: O'ahu and the Island of Hawai'i. We assessed the influence of sex, island, temperature, and precipitation on the prevalence and density of wAlbA and wAlbB, as well as interactions between the two strains.Results Overall, 98.5% (N = 399) of individuals were infected with Wolbachia. All infected specimens carried wAlbB, but only 28.6% were superinfected with wAlbA. Infection dynamics were strongly sex-specific, with females significantly more likely to harbor wAlbA, and Wolbachia density was also significantly higher in females. The prevalence of wAlbA was associated with island and precipitation at the collection site. However, wAlbB prevalence did not vary significantly with sex, island, or climatic variables. In superinfected individuals, wAlbB consistently exhibited higher density than wAlbA, while wAlbB density was higher in superinfected individuals than in those with wAlbB mono-infection. Interestingly, both strains showed higher densities in females than in males. Strain densities were positively correlated in females but not in males, indicating sex-specific interactions.Conclusions By characterizing the Wolbachia infection dynamics of Ae. albopictus populations in Hawai'i, these findings establish an important baseline for biocontrol efforts. We demonstrate that Ae. albopictus mosquitoes in Hawai'i were either superinfected or carry only wAlbB, with lower-than-expected wAlbA infection, which may complicate the design and effectiveness of Wolbachia-based control strategies. Our results highlight that future population suppression projects involving Wolbachia and cytoplasmic incompatibility in Hawai'i must take into account varying patterns of Wolbachia infection in the region prior to biocontrol strategy development and implementation.
SN - 1756-3305
ER -