To gain more insight into the speed in which the viruses can spread worldwide, virologists and entomologists from Wageningen University & Research studied whether a single bite by a mosquito could actually transmit Zika and chikungunya at the same time. The research showed that both viruses easily multiplied in the mosquito body. In the case of at least 12% of the co-infected mosquitoes, both viruses were present in the mosquito saliva. This implies that a single mosquito bite can simultaneously transmit both Zika and chikungunya to people. The results of this research, supported by the strategic funds of PE&RC, will be published in the Open Access magazine PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
