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Vector competence of Anopheles and Culex mosquitoes for Zika virus
Zika virus is a newly emergent mosquito-borne flavivirus that has caused recent large outbreaks in the new world, leading to dramatic increases in serious disease pathology including Guillain-Barre syndrome, newborn microcephaly, and infant brain damage. Although mosquitoes are thought to be the pri...
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Published in: | PeerJ (San Francisco, CA) CA), 2017-03, Vol.5, p.e3096-e3096, Article e3096 |
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Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | Zika virus is a newly emergent mosquito-borne flavivirus that has caused recent large outbreaks in the new world, leading to dramatic increases in serious disease pathology including Guillain-Barre syndrome, newborn microcephaly, and infant brain damage. Although
mosquitoes are thought to be the primary mosquito species driving infection, the virus has been isolated from dozens of mosquito species, including
and
species, and we lack a thorough understanding of which mosquito species to target for vector control. We exposed
,
, and
mosquitoes to blood meals supplemented with two Zika virus strains. Mosquito bodies, legs, and saliva were collected five, seven, and 14 days post blood meal and tested for infectious virus by plaque assay. Regardless of titer, virus strain, or timepoint,
,
, and
mosquitoes were refractory to Zika virus infection. We conclude that
,
, and
mosquitoes likely do not contribute significantly to Zika virus transmission to humans. However, future studies should continue to explore the potential for other novel potential vectors to transmit the virus. |
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ISSN: | 2167-8359 2167-8359 |
DOI: | 10.7717/peerj.3096 |