SARS-CoV-2 and mosquitoes: an extreme challenge

Abstract The research addresses public speculation that SARS-CoV-2 might be transmitted by mosquitoes. The World Health Organization has stated “To date there has been no information nor evidence to suggest that the new coronavirus could be transmitted by mosquitoes”. Here we provide the first experimental data to the capacity of SARS-CoV-2 to infect and be transmitted by mosquitoes. Using three species of mosquitoes from both genera involved in transmission of most arboviruses that infect humans we demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 virus is unable to replicate in mosquitoes and therefore cannot be transmitted to people.