Culex flavivirus infection in a Culex pipiens mosquito colony and its effects on vector competence for Rift Valley fever phlebovirus
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Author
Birnberg, Lotty
Nuñez, Ana I.
Muñoz-Muñoz, Francesc
Vázquez, Ana
Busquets, Núria
Publication date
2018-05-23ISSN
1756-3305
Abstract
Background
Rift Valley fever is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease that affects domestic ruminants and humans. Culex flavivirus is an insect-specific flavivirus that naturally exists in field mosquito populations. The influence of Culex flavivirus on Rift Valley fever phlebovirus (RVFV) vector competence of Culex pipiens has not been investigated.
Methods
Culex flavivirus infection in a Cx. pipiens colony was studied by Culex flavivirus oral feeding and intrathoracical inoculation. Similarly, vector competence of Cx. pipiens infected with Culex flavivirus was evaluated for RVFV. Infection, dissemination, transmission rates and transmission efficiency of Culex flavivirus-infected and non-infected Cx. pipiens artificially fed with RVFV infected blood were assessed.
Results
Culex flavivirus was able to infect Cx. pipiens after intrathoracically inoculation in Cx. pipiens mosquitos but not after Culex flavivirus oral feeding. Culex flavivirus did not affect RVFV infection, dissemination and transmission in Cx. pipiens mosquitoes. RVFV could be detected from saliva of both the Culex flavivirus-positive and negative Cx. pipiens females without significant differences. Moreover, RVFV did not interfere with the Culex flavivirus infection in Cx. pipiens mosquitoes.
Conclusions
Culex flavivirus infected and non-infected Cx. pipiens transmit RVFV. Culex flavivirus existing in field-collected Cx. pipiens populations does not affect their vector competence for RVFV. Culex flavivirus may not be an efficient tool for RVFV control in mosquitoes.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
619 - Veterinary science
Pages
9
Publisher
BioMed Central
Is part of
Parasites & Vectors
Citation
Sandra Talavera, Lotty Birnberg, Ana I. Nuñez, Francesc Muñoz-Muñoz, Ana Vázquez and Núria Busquets. Culex flavivirus infection in a Culex pipiens mosquito colony and its effects on vector competence for Rift Valley fever phlebovirus. Parasites & Vectors, 2018,11:310
Grant agreement number
MINECO/Programa Estatal de fomento de la investigación científica y técnica de excelencia/AGL2013-47257-P/ES/Emergencia de la fiebre del valle del Rift en Europa: evaluación del rol de mosquitos autóctonos en la potencial diseminación de la enfermedad/
Program
Sanitat Animal
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2829]
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/