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1 September 2015 Potential for Psorophora columbiae and Psorophora ciliata Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) to Transmit Rift Valley Fever Virus
Michael J. Turell, Seth C. Britch, Robert L. Aldridge, Rui-De Xue, Mike L. Smith, Lee W. Cohnstaedt, Kenneth J. Linthicum
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Abstract

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) continues to pose a threat to much of the world. Unlike many arboviruses, numerous mosquito species have been associated with RVFV in nature, and many species have been demonstrated as competent vectors in the laboratory. In this study, we evaluated two field-collected Psorophora species, Psorophora columbiae (Dyar and Knab) and Psorophora ciliata (F.) for their potential to transmit RVFV in North America. Both species were susceptible to infection after feeding on a hamster with a viremia of 107 plaque-forming units/ml, with infection rates of 65 and 83% for Ps. columbiae and Ps. ciliata, respectively (with nearly all specimens becoming infected when feeding on a hamster with a higher viremia). However, both species had a significant salivary gland barrier, as only 2/35 Ps. columbiae and 0/3 Ps. ciliata with a disseminated infection transmitted virus by bite. Despite the presence of the salivary gland barrier, due to the very high population that can occur and its propensity to feed on large mammals, Ps. columbiae might play a role in amplifying RVFV should that virus be introduced into an area where this species is common.

Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2015. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.
Michael J. Turell, Seth C. Britch, Robert L. Aldridge, Rui-De Xue, Mike L. Smith, Lee W. Cohnstaedt, and Kenneth J. Linthicum "Potential for Psorophora columbiae and Psorophora ciliata Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) to Transmit Rift Valley Fever Virus," Journal of Medical Entomology 52(5), 1111-1116, (1 September 2015). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjv093
Received: 7 April 2015; Accepted: 17 June 2015; Published: 1 September 2015
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KEYWORDS
competence
North America
transmission
vector
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