Reduced Survival of Adult Culex Pipiens Infected with Rift Valley Fever Virus

The effect of Rift Valley fever (RVF) viral infection on the survival of female Culex pipiens was examined. In 3 experiments in which mosquitoes ingested RVF virus, there was a 44% decrease in survival to days 14-16 for transmitting vs. nontransmitting mosquitoes, and a 48% decrease in survival for...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Faran, Michael E, Turell, Michael J, Romoser, William S, Routier, Robert G, Gibbs, Paul H, Cannon, Timothy L, Bailey, Charles L
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
CULEX
CULICIDAE
DISEASE VECTORS
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Medicine and Medical Research
Microbiology
RATES
REPRINTS
RIFT VALLEY FEVER VIRUS
VIRUS DISEASES
VIRUSES
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Summary:The effect of Rift Valley fever (RVF) viral infection on the survival of female Culex pipiens was examined. In 3 experiments in which mosquitoes ingested RVF virus, there was a 44% decrease in survival to days 14-16 for transmitting vs. nontransmitting mosquitoes, and a 48% decrease in survival for individuals with disseminated vs. nondiseminated infections. These results were corroborated by other experiments in which survival of mosquitoes intrathoracically inoculated with RVF virus was compared with that of those inoculated with diluent. In both the per os and inoculation tests, uninfected mosquitoes survived significantly longer than infected mosquitoes. Even though mosquitoes with disseminated infection had a lower survival rate that did uninfected mosquitoes, dissemination and transmission rates were similar at days 7 and 14-18 after the infectious bloodmeal. This suggests that nondisseminated individuals were developing disseminated infections and becoming capable of transmitting virus between days 7 and 14-18 at approximately the same rate older transmitters were dying. The decreased survival associated with RVF viral infection should be considered in predictive models of this disease. Published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, v37 n2 p403-409, 1987.