Lee Haines, University of Notre Dame – Do Mosquitoes Harbor Viruses Without Falling Ill?

Why can mosquitoes harbor viruses without being affected while others cannot?

Lee Haines, associate research professor in Medical Entomology at the University of Notre Dame, explores this.

Lee Haines is a researcher with a PhD in Tropical Medicine and an MSc in Parasite Biochemistry and Microbiology, who specializes in diseases transmitted by arthropods.

Her work delves into the intricate relationships between insects, their microbiota, and the pathogens they spread, covering projects from basic to translational science. With over 20 years of experience managing large insect colonies, she has garnered a deep understanding of insect biology and disease transmission.

Beyond research, Lee is a passionate science communicator, engaging in public seminars, social mobility youth workshops, sciart collaborations, podcasts, and radio interviews to inspire awe and respect for insects and microbes. She believes in the power of storytelling to inspire curiosity about the natural world, particularly the often-misunderstood realm of insects and microbes. Science has the ability to connect the past, present, and future, and by co-creating with artists, scientific messages can transcend boundaries to create spaces where knowledge exchange, scientific trust and creativity can flourish.

Do Mosquitoes Harbor Viruses Without Falling Ill?

Have you ever wondered what life is like for a female mosquito?

In the United States, she’s more than just a nuisance – she spreads many nasty viruses like Eastern equine encephalitis (also known as Triple E), West Nile virus, Dengue and Zika. But what happens inside her body when she bites an infected bird or animal is nothing short of incredible.

When she drinks virus-contaminated blood, the virus is carried into her midgut – essentially her version of a stomach and intestines. But here’s where things get interesting – the virus quickly infects her midgut cells & quietly multiplies without detection. This sneaky approach is crucial for how the virus survives in an incredibly hostile digestive environment.

What’s even more fascinating is how mosquitos and viruses have forged an almost symbiotic relationship. For reasons we still don’t fully understand, the mosquito’s primitive immune system barely notices the virus, which allows for a persistent infection without causing illness! Unlike humans with our complex immune responses, mosquitoes typically tolerate these viral passengers for the rest of their short lives. It’s a biological delivery system millions of years in the making.

Insect-borne viruses have mastered the art of exploiting female mosquitoes as both a means for transportation and a safe environment where they can replicate. Although the mosquito doesn’t suffer as much as we do when we get infected, they do not survive completely unscathed either. Now whether they deserve our empathy or not is another question entirely…

Read More:

• Interview for 5^th Episode of the new podcast series Rust Belt Science “All Things Insects”.