Born Infected: The Alarming Reality of Dengue’s Transovarian Transmission

Photo credit: Marcelo Camargo / Agência Brasil

Have you ever imagined a mosquito being born already infected? A recent study conducted by the Federal University of Goiás, based in Brazil, has confirmed the occurrence of vertical transmission—also known as transovarian transmission—of the Zika and Chikungunya viruses in Aedes aegypti. In other words, an infected female is capable of passing the virus directly to her eggs.

In practice, the researchers collected mosquito eggs in Goiânia, reared them in the lab until adulthood, and analyzed them using molecular tests. The results showed that some mosquitoes were already carrying the Zika and Chikungunya viruses before biting a single person. In other words, they were born already capable of transmitting disease.

This finding helps explain why outbreaks can reappear so quickly after dry periods. Aedes aegypti eggs can survive for months without water. If they are infected and later encounter favorable conditions to hatch, they give rise to mosquitoes that already carry the virus—without ever needing to bite an infected person to start a new transmission cycle.

This information reinforces a critical point in arbovirus prevention: focusing only on adult mosquitoes is not enough. It is essential to interrupt the cycle as early as possible, reducing eggs and larvae before they become new vectors.

This is precisely where the Aedes Mosquito Killers' biodegradable trap becomes especially strategic. By capturing and eliminating eggs and larvae, it helps break the cycle before the mosquito even emerges. And considering that these eggs may already carry the virus, acting at the source is even more important.

Prevention is intelligence applied to the mosquito’s life cycle. The earlier we interrupt this process, the lower the risk of new transmissions.