Rapid elimination of GB virus C (hepatitis G virus) in the mosquito Aedes aegypti.
The transmissibility of the GB virus C (hepatitis G virus; HGV), a member of the Flaviviridae, by a typical flavivirus vector was investigated. Female mosquitoes of the species Aedes aegypti were fed with HGV-infected human blood and assayed 1, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after the blood meal for viral RNA, human glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA, human beta-actin DNA and A. aegypti actin mRNA by total nucleic acid extraction, reverse transcription and PCR. Viral RNA had already disappeared from nucleic acid extracts 1 h after the blood meal and was not detectable throughout the observation period. Aedes-specific mRNA served as an internal control and was detected in all nucleic acid extracts, whereas human mRNA had disappeared after 24 h, indicating digestion of human cells. From these results we conclude that GB virus C (HGV) cannot replicate in A. aegypti, which is a widespread and competent vector of several other flaviviruses.
Wolff
C
C
Institute for Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine, Heart and Diabetes Centre of North Rhine-Westfalia, University Clinic of the Ruhr-University Bochum, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. cwolff@hdz-nrw.de
Kruppa
T
T
Dreier
J
J
ter Meulen
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000330:Aedes / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014779:Virus Replication
D012367:RNA, Viral