The recently identified flavivirus Bamaga virus is transmitted horizontally by < i > Culex < /i > mosquitoes and interferes with West Nile virus replication < i > in vitro < /i > and transmission < i > in vivo < /i >

by Agathe M. G. Colmant, Sonja Hall-Mendelin, Scott A. Ritchie, Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Jessica J. Harrison, Natalee D. Newton, Caitlin A. O ’Brien, Chris Cazier, Cheryl A. Johansen, Jody Hobson-Peters, Roy A. Hall, Andrew F. van den Hurk Arthropod-borne flaviviruses such as yellow fever (YFV), Zika and dengue viruses continue to cause significant human disease globally. These viruses are transmitted by mosquitoes when a female imbibes an infected blood-meal from a viremic vertebrate host and expectorates the virus into a subsequen t host. Bamaga virus (BgV) is a flavivirus recently discovered inCulex sitiens subgroup mosquitoes collected from Cape York Peninsula, Australia. This virus phylogenetically clusters with the YFV group, but is potentially restricted in most vertebrates. However, high levels of replication in an opossum cell line (OK) indicate a potential association with marsupials. To ascertain whether BgV could be horizontally transmitted by mosquitoes, the vector competence of two members of theCx.sitiens subgroup,Cx.annulirostris andCx.sitiens, for BgV was investigated. Eleven to thirteen days after imbibing an infectious blood-meal, infection rates were 11.3% and 18.8% forCx.annulirostris andCx.sitiens, respectively.Cx.annulirostris transmitted the virus at low levels (5.6% had BgV-positive saliva overall);Cx.sitiens did not transmit the virus. When mosquitoes were injected intrathoracially with BgV, the infection and transmission rates were 100% and 82%, ...
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Source Type: research