Peroral susceptibility of Aedes albifasciatus and Culex pipiens complex mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from Argentina to western equine encephalitis virus

Abstract

AVILES, G. et al. Peroral susceptibility of Aedes albifasciatus and Culex pipiens complex mosquitoes(Diptera: Culicidae) from Argentina to western equine encephalitis virus. Rev. Saúde públ., S. Paulo, 24: 265-9,1990.ABSTRACT. The transmission cycle of western equine encephalitis (WEE) virus in South America is unknown. A WEE virus strain was isolated from Aedes albifasciatus in Argentina during the WEE epizootic of 1982-83. Also, Culex pipiens from Argentina was reported to be able to transmit WEE virus experimentally, but other results indicate that Cx. pipiens from the USA is refractory to this virus. We determined the susceptibility of Argentina strains of Ae. albifasciatus and Culex pipiens complex mosquites to infection by WEE virus by the oral route. Adult females were fed on chicks infected with a WEE virus strain isolated in Cordoba Province, Argentina, or were fed on a blood/virus suspension. Each mosquito ingested between 10 1.6 to 10 6.4 vero cell plaque-forming units of virus. Each of 28 Ae. albifasciatus was positive for virus from the fourth day postfeeding, and there was evidence for virus replication. In contrast, 0/44 Cx. p. quinquefasciatus and only 1/15 Cx. p. pipiens was positive. Aedes albifasciatus is susceptible to infection by WEE virus and should be considered a potential vector of this virus in Argentina. Both subspecies of Cx. pipiens are refractory to peroral infection by WEE virus and probably do not play a role in the WEE virus cycle in Argentina.

Larval habitat of <i>Ochlerotatus albifasciatus</i> (Diptera: Culicidae) in the southern edge of the Americas, Tierra del Fuego Island

“…In addition, adults of this species were reported by Marinone [6] from Kosobo Lake, located 74 km to the northeast of Ushuaia. This persistent biter that causes considerable discomfort both to humans [7] and to cattle [8], has sanitary importance since it has been recognized as a competent vector of the western equine encephalitis virus [9][10][11][12]: the east equine encephalitis virus and the Valle Cache virus [13]; and of Dirofilaria immitis, the etiological agent of canine filariasis [9,14].…”

Potential vectors of equine arboviruses in the UK

“… Species in bold were sampled during the present study *Variable laboratory competence in a number of studies †Relatively inefficient laboratory vector 1 Faraj and others (2009) 2 Balenghien and others (2006) 3 Pilot work for this study—site 8, 2014 4 Danabalan (2010) 5 Medlock and others (2005) 6 Service (1971a) 7 Becker and others (2010) 8 Hutchinson (2004) 9 Medlock and Vaux (2011) 10 Service and others (1986) 11 Service and Smith (1972) 12 Rempel and others (1946) 13 MacKenzie-Impoinvil and others (2015) 14 Vermeil and others (1960) 15 Balenghien and others (2008) 16 Blagrove and others, (2016) 17 Andreadis and others (1998) 18 Armstrong and Andreadis (2010) 19 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2006) 20 Vaidyanathan and others (1997) 21 Davis (1940) 22 Chamberlain and others (1954) 23 Turell and others (2006) 24 Aviles and others (1990) 25 Hammon and Reeves (1943) 26 Merrill and others (1934) 27 Turell (2012) 28 Kramer and others (1998) 29 Vaux and others (2015) 30 Zacks and Paessler (2010) 31 Börstler and others (2016) 32 Schönenberger and others (2016) 33 …”

Scientific review on mosquitoes and mosquito‐borne diseases

“…Moderate to very high Low to high (Reisen et al, 1997a) Culex (Culex) pipiens Argentina Very low Not tested (Aviles et al, 1990) Culex ( (Kramer et al, 1998) Aedes (Ochl.) albifasciatus…”