Experimental investigation of the susceptibility of Italian Culex pipiens mosquitoes to Zika virus infection.

Experimental investigation of the susceptibility of Italian Culex pipiens mosquitoes to Zika virus infection. Euro Surveill. 2016 Sep 1;21(35) Authors: Boccolini D, Toma L, Di Luca M, Severini F, Romi R, Remoli ME, Sabbatucci M, Venturi G, Rezza G, Fortuna C Abstract We investigated the susceptibility of an Italian population of Culex pipiens mosquitoes to Zika virus (ZIKV) infection, tested in parallel with Aedes aegypti, as a positive control. We analysed mosquitoes at 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 20 and 24 days after an infectious blood meal. Viral RNA was detected in the body of Cx. pipiens up to three days post-infection, but not at later time points. Our results indicate that Cx. pipiens is not susceptible to ZIKV infection. PMID: 27605056 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Euro Surveill - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tags: Euro Surveill Source Type: research