Which species of mosquitoes is a known vector for Chikungunya virus?

• A. Culex spp mosquitoes
• B. Aedes spp mosquitoes
• C. Anopheles spp mosquitoes
• D. Mansonia spp mosquitoes

Answer: (B)

Chikungunya virus is transmitted by mosquitoes belonging to the Aedes genus. These vectors are well suited for spreading the virus because they bite during the day, breed readily in small, standing-water containers around human habitats, and efficiently acquire the virus from an infected person and pass it on in subsequent bites. The two most important species involved are Aedes aegypti, common in urban tropical areas, and Aedes albopictus, which has expanded its range into temperate regions. This combination explains urban outbreaks and broader geographic spread when Aedes mosquitoes are present.

Other mosquito groups are known vectors for different pathogens—for example, Culex species transmit West Nile virus, Anopheles species transmit malaria, and Mansonia species can transmit certain filarial parasites. They are not the primary vectors for chikungunya.