Five different species of aquatic insects were collected from nursery ponds containing the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii infected with Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (Mr NV) and extra small virus (XSV). The insects were screened as potential natural carriers of Mr NV and XSV. RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) analysis gave positive results for Mr NV and XSV in Belostoma sp., Aesohna sp., Cybister sp. and Notonecta sp., and negative results for Nepa sp. An Aedes albopictus mosquito cell line (C6/36) was used for infectivity assays, with viral inoculum prepared from the aquatic insects, since C6/36 cells have recently been shown to be susceptible to infection with Mr NV and XSV. The C6/36 cells were harvested 4 d postchallenge for examination by electron microscopy. This revealed aggregation of viral particles throughout the cytoplasm for cells challenged with inocula from all the insect species except Nepa sp. Our results indicate that several aquatic insect species may present a risk for Mr NV and XSV transmission to M. rosenbergii.
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