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Caputo B, Moretti R, Virgillito C, Manica M, Lampazzi E, Lombardi G, Serini P, Pichler V, Beebe NW, Della Torre A, Calvitti M. A bacterium against the tiger: further evidence of the potential of noninundative releases of males with manipulated Wolbachia infection in reducing fertility of Aedes albopictus field populations in Italy. Pest Management Science 2023; 79:3167-3176. [PMID: 37022600 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Incompatible insect technique (IIT) is a population suppression approach based on the release of males with manipulated Wolbachia infection inducing egg inviability in wild females. We here present results of multiple field releases of incompatible ARwP males carried out in 2019 in a 2.7-ha green area within urban Rome (Italy) to assess the effect on Aedes albopictus egg viability. Data are compared with results obtained in 2018, when the approach was tested for the first time in Europe. RESULTS An average of 4674 ARwP males were released weekly for 7 weeks, resulting in a mean ARwP:wild male ratio of 1.1:1 (versus 0.7:1 in 2018). Egg-viability dynamics in ovitraps significantly varied between treated and control sites, with an estimated overall reduction of 35% (versus 15% in 2018). The estimated proportion of females classified as mated with ARwP males was 41.8% and the viability rate of eggs laid by these females (9.5%) was on average significantly lower than that of females only mated with wild males (87.8%); however, high variability in fertility was observed. Values of ARwP male competitiveness were 0.36 and 0.73 based on the overall viability rate of eggs in ovitraps and on female fertility, respectively; thus, well above the conventional 0.2 threshold for an effective suppressive impact in the field. CONCLUSIONS Results further support the potential of IIT as a tool to contribute to Ae. albopictus control in the urban context, stressing the need for larger field trials to evaluate the cost-efficacy of the approach in temperate regions. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beniamino Caputo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Riccardo Moretti
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Virgillito
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Mattia Manica
- Center for Health Emergencies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Elena Lampazzi
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Lombardi
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Paola Serini
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Verena Pichler
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Nigel W Beebe
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, & CSIRO, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Alessandra Della Torre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Calvitti
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
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Caputo B, Moretti R, Manica M, Serini P, Lampazzi E, Bonanni M, Fabbri G, Pichler V, Della Torre A, Calvitti M. A bacterium against the tiger: preliminary evidence of fertility reduction after release of Aedes albopictus males with manipulated Wolbachia infection in an Italian urban area. Pest Manag Sci 2020; 76:1324-1332. [PMID: 31603613 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Novel tools are needed to reduce the nuisance and risk of exotic arbovirus transmission associated with the colonization of temperate regions by Aedes albopictus. The incompatible insect technique (IIT) is a population suppression approach based on cytoplasmic incompatibility between males with manipulated endosymbionts and wild females. Here, we present the results of the first field experiment in Europe to assess the capacity of an Ae. albopictus line (ARwP) deprived of its natural endosymbiont Wolbachia and transinfected with a Wolbachia strain from the mosquito Culex pipiens, to sterilize wild females. RESULTS We released ∼ 4500 ARwP males weekly for 6 weeks in a green area within urban Rome (Italy) and carried out egg (N = 13 442), female (N = 128) and male (N = 352) collections. Egg (N = 13 783) and female (N = 48) collections were also carried out at two untreated control sites. The percentage of viable eggs during release was, on average, significantly lower in treated sites than in control sites, with the greatest difference (16%) seen after the fourth release. The ARwP to wild male ratio in the release spots between day 3 after the first ARwP male release and day 7 after the last release was, on average, 7:10. Released males survived up to 2 weeks. Approximately 30% of females collected in the release spots showed 100% sterility and 20% showed strongly reduced fertility compared with control sites. CONCLUSIONS Results support the potential of IIT as a tool contributing to Ae. albopictus control in the urban context, and stress the need for larger field trials to evaluate the cost-efficacy of the approach in suppressing wild populations. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beniamino Caputo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Università di Roma Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Riccardo Moretti
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Mattia Manica
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Trento, Italy
| | - Paola Serini
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Università di Roma Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Lampazzi
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Bonanni
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Università di Roma Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Fabbri
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Verena Pichler
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Università di Roma Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Della Torre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Università di Roma Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Calvitti
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
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