Non-invasive detection of Zika virus in French Guiana using trapped mosquito excreta

Background Mosquito borne pathogens are a threat to human health and can be difficult to detect especially when they cause a high rate of asymptomatic infections in human. The discovery that infected mosquitoes can release viruses in both their saliva and secreta gave rise to low-cost methods for the early detection of arboviruses during entomological surveillance. Methods Here, we implemented both saliva and excreta-based entomological surveillance during the emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) in French Guiana in 2016 by trapping mosquitoes around households of confirmed ZIKV symptomatic cases. Results ZIKV was detected in mosquito excreta and not in mosquito saliva in one trap collection out of 85 (1.2%) throughout the survey. One female Ae. aegypti was found with a ZIKV systemic infection in the corresponding trap. The lag time between symptom onset declared by the ZIKV infected individual living in this site and ZIKV detection detected in this mosquito was one week. Conclusions Altogether, these results highlight the potential of trapped mosquito excreta as a sensitive and cost-effective method to non-invasively detect arbovirus circulation.