title: Aedes albopictus (Diptera:Culicidae) is incompetent as a vector of hepatitis C virus.
abstract: In laboratory experiments, Aedes albopictus females were fed hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected human blood with a unit-feeding apparatus. Pools of engorged females were tested at various time intervals after their blood meal for the presence of HCV RNA using two methods in parallel: reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR with the Amplicor HCV system. Comparable results were obtained with both methods. Mosquitoes were found to be positive only immediately and 24 h after feeding. Moreover, female progeny produced negative results. Our results indicate that the Ae.albopictus strain used is incompetent as a vector of HCV.
authors.affiliation: Centro Agricoltura Ambiente, Crevalcore, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bellini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Casali
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrieri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zambonelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rivasi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rivasi
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral