Mosquitoes can carry both Zika and chikungunya viruses and infect human beings with both viruses at the same time, researchers said at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene on Nov. 13 to Nov. 17, 2016, in Atlanta, according to a Medical Xpress report.
Currently, dengue, Zika and chikungunya, all mosquito-borne, are simultaneously circulating the Americas and parts of Asia. The Zika and dengue viruses are closely related, but little is known about the interaction between the Zika and chikungunya viruses.
Researchers examined this interaction in a contained experiment. They allowed mosquitoes to access blood with dengue, chikungunya or Zika, as well as blood with a combination of the viruses. Through testing, researchers found that "mosquitoes can pick up and transmit Zika and chikungunya simultaneously," according to the report. The mosquitoes' saliva also tested positive for the viruses, showing that if they bite a human being, they can pass on more than one infection.
Previous research has shown that mosquitoes can carry dengue and chikungunya simultaneously. However, it is unclear whether mosquitoes can carry all three viruses together, the report notes.