Dengue continues to be a major public health concern in Latin America and the Caribbean with many countries in the region having experienced drastic increases in the incidence of dengue over the past few years. Dengue virus is predominantly transmitted by the bite of an infected female Aedes aegypti mosquito via a process called horizontal transmission. However, the virus may also be transmitted from an infected female mosquito to her offspring by vertical transmission, which occurs via viral invasion of the ovary either at the time of fertilization or during oviposition. In this way, mosquitoes may become dengue virus infected before ever encountering a human host. While some researchers have reported this phenomenon and suggested it may serve as a reservoir for the dengue virus in nature, others have questioned its epidemiological significance because of the low frequency at which it has been observed. Several researchers have either altogether failed to detect it or observed its occurrence at low frequencies. However, some studies have attributed these failures to small sample sizes as well as poor sensitivities of screening methods employed. Therefore, an overview of the occurrence, significance and limitations of detection of vertical transmission of dengue virus in Aedes mosquitoes in nature within Latin America and the Caribbean will be the focus of this review. Graphical Abstract

The performance of the Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2, Abbott Architect SARS-CoV-2 IgM, Abbott Architect SARS-CoV-2 IgG, Euroimmun SARS-CoV-2 IgA, Euroimmun SARS-CoV-2 IgG ELISA, and Trillium IgG/IgM rapid assays was evaluated in Jamaica. Diagnostic sensitivities of the assays were assessed by testing serum samples from SARS-CoV-2 PCR-confirmed persons and diagnostic specificity was assessed by testing serum samples collected during 2018–2019 from healthy persons and from persons with antibodies to a wide range of viral infections. Serum samples collected ≥14 days after onset of symptoms, or an initial SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive test for asymptomatics, showed diagnostic sensitivities ranging from 67.9 to 75.0% when including all possible disease severities and increased to 90.0–95.0% when examining those with moderate to critical disease. Grouping moderate to critical disease showed a significant association with a SARS-CoV-2 antibody positive result for all assays. Diagnostic specificity ranged from 96.7 to 100.0%. For all assays examined, SARS-CoV-2 real-time PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values of the initial nasopharyngeal swab sample testing positive were significantly different for samples testing antibody positive versus negative. These data from a predominantly African descent Caribbean population show comparable diagnostic sensitivities and specificities for all testing platforms assessed and limited utility of these tests for persons with asymptomatic and mild infections.

Background: Aedes vittatus , an emerging invasive mosquito of significant public health concern has slowly made its way onto the global radar. With a known geographical range in Africa and Asia, where it is a competent vector for several arboviruses, this mosquito has now been reported in the Americas. As the spread of this mosquito has been partly linked to transcontinental trade and travel, Jamaica, the largest English-speaking country in the Caribbean, which serves as a central hub for trade and transport throughout the region, has been on alert since its identification in neighboring Dominican Republic and Cuba. Method: BG sentinel traps baited with dry ice and a Prokopack aspirator were used to collect adult mosquitoes whereas disposable plastic pipettes were utilized for the collection of immature stages. Larvae were reared to adults, and all mosquitoes were identified using taxonomic keys. Using a genome skimming approach, the mitochondrial genome from two specimens was sequenced and a section of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene was extracted from each mitochondrial genome and used for phylogenetic analysis. Results: Through ongoing surveillance efforts from January 2023 to October 2024, we report the detection of Ae . vittatus across six locations in four parishes in Jamaica. Both larvae and adults were collected from rural and urban areas in the country. Additionally, we present the first complete annotated mitochondrial genomes from two specimens of this invasive mosquito species. Phylogenetic analysis using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene extracted from the derived mitochondrial genomes of Jamaican Ae . vittatus and available sequences from the GenBank database revealed clustering with specimens from Cuba, Nepal, and India. Conclusions: This study is the first confirmed report of Ae . vittatus in Jamaica. Furthermore, it highlights the benefits of routine surveillance and the power of molecular approaches to identify invasive species and their potential origins.

The Caribbean enjoys a long-standing eminence as a popular tourist destination; however, over the years it has also amassed the sobriquet “arbovirus hotspot”. As the planet warms and vectors expand their habitats, a cognizant working knowledge of the lesser-known arboviruses and the factors that influence their emergence and resurgence becomes essential. The extant literature on Caribbean arboviruses is spread across decades of published literature and is quite often difficult to access, and, in some cases, is obsolete. Here, we look at the lesser-known arboviruses of the insular Caribbean and examine some of the drivers for their emergence and resurgence. We searched the scientific literature databases PubMed and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed literature as well as scholarly reports. We included articles and reports that describe works resulting in serological evidence of the presence of arboviruses and/or arbovirus isolations in the insular Caribbean. Studies without serological evidence and/or arbovirus isolations as well as those including dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever were excluded. Of the 545 articles identified, 122 met the inclusion criteria. A total of 42 arboviruses were identified in the literature. These arboviruses and the drivers that affect their emergence/resurgence are discussed.