Impact of stressful conditions on the survival of Culex pipiens exposed to Rift Valley fever virus.
Several groups of Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus-exposed and unexposed Culex pipiens were allowed differential access to a carbohydrate food source and their survival monitored. When stressed by deprivation of a carbohydrate source, mean survival times of RVF virus-exposed mosquitoes were consistently higher than those of unexposed mosquitoes in each of the carbohydrate-deficient experiments. These differences were statistically significant when mosquitoes were provided 5% sucrose for 24 hours. Mosquitoes that were provided access to a carbohydrate source for 24 h after a bloodmeal and then were denied access survived significantly longer than did those mosquitoes denied access, regardless of their exposure to RVF virus. When not stressed, RVF virus-exposed individuals had slightly higher daily survival rates than did unexposed individuals.
Dohm
D J
DJ
Department of Arboviral Entomology, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702-5011.
Romoser
W S
WS
Turell
M J
MJ
Linthicum
K J
KJ
D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D003465:Culex / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D007303:Insect Vectors; D012295:Rift Valley Fever / Q000635:transmission*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage
D013395:Sucrose