Variation in oral susceptibility to dengue type 2 virus of populations of Aedes aegypti from the islands of Tahiti and Moorea, French Polynesia

Twenty three samples of Aedes aegypti populations from the islands of Tahit i and Moorea (French polynesia) were tested for their oral susceptibility t o dengue type 2 virus. The high infection rates obtained suggest that the a rtificial feeding protocol used was more efficient than those previously de scribed. Statistical analysis of the results allowed us to define two disti nct geographic areas on Tahiti with respect to the susceptibility of Ae, ae gypti: the east coast, with homogeneous infection rates, and the west coast , with heterogeneous infection rates. No geographic differences could be de monstrated on Moorea. The possible mechanisms of this phenomenon are discus sed in connection with recent findings on the variability of susceptibility of Ae. aegypti to insecticides.