Vertical Transmission of West Nile Virus by Three California Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) Species

Three California Culex species previously identified as efficient laboratory vectors of West Nile (WN) virus were tested for their capability to vertically transmit WN virus. Wild-caught Culex pipiens pipiens L., Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus Say, and two populations of Culex tarsalis Coquillett fe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical entomology 2003-11, Vol.40 (6), p.743-746
Main Authors: Goddard, Laura B., Roth, Amy E., Reisen, William K., Scott, Thomas W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
California
Culex - classification
Culex - virology
Culex pipiens
Culex tarsalis
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Infection
Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical
Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control
Mosquitoes
RAPID COMMUNICATION
Species Specificity
Vectors. Intermediate hosts
vertical transmission
West Nile fever
West Nile Fever - epidemiology
West Nile Fever - transmission
West Nile virus
West Nile virus - isolation & purification
West Nile virus - pathogenicity
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Summary:Three California Culex species previously identified as efficient laboratory vectors of West Nile (WN) virus were tested for their capability to vertically transmit WN virus. Wild-caught Culex pipiens pipiens L., Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus Say, and two populations of Culex tarsalis Coquillett females were inoculated intrathoracically with 102.7 ± 0.1 plaque-forming units of WN virus. F1 progeny were reared at 18°C and subsequently tested as adults for infectious virus on Vero cell culture. Virus was not detected in 197 pools comprising 4,884 Cx. p. pipiens. The minimum filial infection rate (MFIR) for Cx. p. quinquefasciatus was ≈3.0/1,000 for 665 progeny tested in 28 pools. There was no virus detected in 102 pools of 2,453 progeny from Cx. tarsalis collected in Riverside County. The MFIR for Cx. tarsalis collected in Yolo County was ≈ 6.9/1,000 for 2,165 progeny tested in 86 pools. Mosquito progeny infected vertically during the fall could potentially serve as a mechanism for WN virus to overwinter and initiate horizontal transmission the following spring.
ISSN:0022-2585
1938-2928
0022-2585
DOI:10.1603/0022-2585-40.6.743