American Aedes japonicus japonicus, Culex pipiens pipiens, and Culex restuans mosquitoes have limited transmission capacity for a recent isolate of Usutu virus

Bates, Tyler; Chuong, Christina; Rai, Pallavi; Marano, Jeffrey; Waldman, Aaron; Klinger, Amy; Reinhold, Joanna M.; Lahondère, Chloé; Weger-Lucarelli, James

doi:10.1016/j.virol.2020.12.023

Cited by 6 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…We may have underestimated the magnitude of the host competence of house sparrows for USUV due to the use of North American C. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, which have weak vector competence for USUV. Other groups have also found low vector competence for C. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes ( 41 , 42 ). Other mosquitoes that are more competent for USUV should be tested in future studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…C. pipiens and C. quinquefasciatus colonies from North America which fed on an infectious bloodmeal with the prototype USUV strain, South Africa 1959, were both susceptible to infection ( 41 ). Another study using a South African lab colony of C. quinquefasciatus reported transmission in saliva ( 42 ). USUV infection and transmission has also been described in other mosquito species, including C. neavei ( 43 ) and Aedes japonicus ( 44 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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North American House Sparrows Are Competent for Usutu Virus Transmission

Kuchinsky

Marano

Hawks

et al. 2022

mSphere

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

North American House Sparrows Are Competent for Usutu Virus Transmission

Kuchinsky

Marano

Hawks

et al. 2022

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“…Furthermore, a study on American Culex p . pipiens found that they were unable to transmit USUV isolated from the Netherlands [ 56 ]. Other investigations of USUV in European Culex p .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Belgian Culex pipiens pipiens are competent vectors for West Nile virus while Culex modestus are competent vectors for Usutu virus

Soto,

De Coninck,

Devlies

et al. 2023

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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Background West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are emerging arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) in Europe transmitted by Culex mosquitoes. In Belgium, it is currently unknown which Culex species are competent vectors for WNV or USUV and if these mosquitoes carry Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium that can block arbovirus transmission. The aims of our study were to measure the vector competence of Belgian Culex mosquitoes to WNV and USUV and determine if a naturally acquired Wolbachia infection can influence virus transmission. Methodology/Principal findings Female Culex mosquitoes were captured from urban and peri-urban sites in Leuven, Belgium and offered an infectious bloodmeal containing WNV lineage 2, USUV European (EU) lineage 3, or USUV African (AF) lineage 3. Blood-fed females were incubated for 14 days at 25°C after which the body, head, and saliva were collected to measure infection, dissemination, and transmission rates as well as transmission efficiency. Mosquito species were identified by qRT-PCR or Sanger sequencing, the presence of infectious virus in mosquitoes was confirmed by plaque assays, and viral genome copies were quantified by qRT-PCR. Culex pipiens pipiens were able to transmit WNV (4.3% transmission efficiency, n = 2/47) but not USUV (EU lineage: n = 0/56; AF lineage: n = 0/37). In contrast, Culex modestus were able to transmit USUV (AF lineage: 20% transmission efficiency, n = 1/5) but not WNV (n = 0/6). We found that the presence or absence of Wolbachia was species-dependent and did not associate with virus transmission. Conclusions/Significance This is the first report that Belgian Culex mosquitoes can transmit both WNV and USUV, forewarning the risk of human transmission. More research is needed to understand the potential influence of Wolbachia on arbovirus transmission in Culex modestus mosquitoes.

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“…Vector competence experiments were carried out by adapting protocols previously described ( Bates et al, 2021 ). Female mosquitoes 5–7 days old ( n = 50) were separated into cartons and sucrose starved for 16 h and H 2 O starved for 12 h prior to infection to promote blood-feeding.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expression of anti-chikungunya single-domain antibodies in transgenic Aedes aegypti reduces vector competence for chikungunya virus and Mayaro virus

et al. 2023

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Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Mayaro virus (MAYV) are closely related alphaviruses that cause acute febrile illness accompanied by an incapacitating polyarthralgia that can persist for years following initial infection. In conjunction with sporadic outbreaks throughout the sub-tropical regions of the Americas, increased global travel to CHIKV- and MAYV-endemic areas has resulted in imported cases of MAYV, as well as imported cases and autochthonous transmission of CHIKV, within the United States and Europe. With increasing prevalence of CHIKV worldwide and MAYV throughout the Americas within the last decade, a heavy focus has been placed on control and prevention programs. To date, the most effective means of controlling the spread of these viruses is through mosquito control programs. However, current programs have limitations in their effectiveness; therefore, novel approaches are necessary to control the spread of these crippling pathogens and lessen their disease burden. We have previously identified and characterized an anti-CHIKV single-domain antibody (sdAb) that potently neutralizes several alphaviruses including Ross River virus and Mayaro virus. Given the close antigenic relationship between MAYV and CHIKV, we formulated a single defense strategy to combat both emerging arboviruses: we generated transgenic Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that express two camelid-derived anti-CHIKV sdAbs. Following an infectious bloodmeal, we observed significant reduction in CHIKV and MAYV replication and transmission potential in sdAb-expressing transgenic compared to wild-type mosquitoes; thus, this strategy provides a novel approach to controlling and preventing outbreaks of these pathogens that reduce quality of life throughout the tropical regions of the world.

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American Aedes japonicus japonicus, Culex pipiens pipiens, and Culex restuans mosquitoes have limited transmission capacity for a recent isolate of Usutu virus

Cited by 6 publications

References 49 publications

North American House Sparrows Are Competent for Usutu Virus Transmission

North American House Sparrows Are Competent for Usutu Virus Transmission

Belgian Culex pipiens pipiens are competent vectors for West Nile virus while Culex modestus are competent vectors for Usutu virus

Expression of anti-chikungunya single-domain antibodies in transgenic Aedes aegypti reduces vector competence for chikungunya virus and Mayaro virus

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