A mosquito's ability to replicate and transmit a virus depends on the environment of tissues in its midgut and may hold the key to preventing mosquito-borne diseases like Zika and Dengue, a study has found. The midgut is the primary site of infection, according to the researchers.

By targeting the sphingolipid pathway, which links together several pathways important for cell signalling and subcellular structure that are altered by a virus infection, researchers could devise strategies that stall viral replication in the mosquito and prevent its transmission to humans.