Zika virus mosquito possibly spreads dengue in same bite

In this Jan. 27, 2016, file photo, an Aedes aegypti mosquito is photographed through a microscope at the Fiocruz institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

ATLANTA – A single species of mosquito—Aedes aegypti—now spreads multiple viruses in the Western Hemisphere, including Zika, chikungunya, and dengue. That has prompted researchers to examine whether it may transmit more than one type of virus at once to people—and if so, what consequences that may have.

In a new study presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, scientists from Colorado State University said they had evidence that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes could be infected with Zika and chikungunya simultaneously and could potentially transmit both viruses to humans in a single bite.

“A mosquito in theory could give you both viruses at once,” said Claudia Rueckert, a Colorado State researcher involved in the work.

The findings add to evidence that people may commonly be infected simultaneously with more than one mosquito-borne virus. A study last year by other researchers found that the mosquitoes can transmit chikungunya and dengue at the same time. Another recent study in Nicaragua found that about one in five patients who tested positive for dengue, chikungunya or Zika actually had two or three of the viruses.

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