Figure 3. The biological clone E1-V IOL lineage is better transmitted by Ae. albopictus from La Réunion but not by Ae. albopictus from Congo.

Both strains of Ae. albopictus (Congo and La Réunion) and Ae. aegypti from Congo were exposed to an infectious blood-meal containing an individual clone or both clones provided at equal titers. Saliva collected at 7 dpi were inoculated on Vero cells. (a) For mosquitoes infected with one viral clone, the percentage of infectious saliva was determined. (b) For mosquitoes infected with both viral clones, saliva were collected and inoculated on Vero cells. Then, lytic plaques were collected for RNA extraction and sequencing to define the identity of the amino-acid at the position E1-226. Proportion of E1-V among clones examined in saliva was estimated at 7 dpi for mosquitoes blood-fed with E1-A and E1-V provided at equal proportions. Error bars show the confidence intervals (95%).