Role of Mosquitoes in the Spread of Smallpox

Smallpox is endemic in Calcutta, where Culex pipiens fatigans and Aedes aegypti abound. In a study of the role of these two species of mosquito in the spread of smallpox, laboratory-bred mosquitoes were allowed to feed on variola-infected, viremic infant mice. The engorged mosquitoes were tested dai...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 1973-12, Vol.128 (6), p.781-783
Main Authors: Sarkar, J. K., Hati, A. K., Mitra, A. C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aedes
Animal feeding behavior
Animals
Blood
Culex
Disease Vectors
India
Infections
Insect Vectors
Mice
Mosquitos
Proboscis
Smallpox
Smallpox - epidemiology
Variola virus
Variola virus - isolation & purification
Viruses
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Summary:Smallpox is endemic in Calcutta, where Culex pipiens fatigans and Aedes aegypti abound. In a study of the role of these two species of mosquito in the spread of smallpox, laboratory-bred mosquitoes were allowed to feed on variola-infected, viremic infant mice. The engorged mosquitoes were tested daily for 15 days for viable variola virus. Virus could be recovered from C. pipiens fatigans for 72 hr and from A. aegypti for 96 hr. The separated proboscises of the latter mosquitoes were tested and were found to contain virus for the entire 96-hr period. It appears, therefore, that mechanical transmission of smallpox by these mosquitoes, especially A. aegypti, is possible.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1093/infdis/128.6.781