Vector competence of eastern and western forms of Psorophora columbiae (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes for enzootic and epizootic Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus.
Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) continues to circulate enzootically in Mexico with the potential to re-emerge and cause disease in equines and humans in North America. We infected two geographically distinct mosquito populations of eastern Psorophora columbiae form columbiae (Chiapas, Mexico and Texas, United States) and one mosquito population of western Psorophora columbiae form toltecum (California, United States) with epizootic and enzootic IE VEEV and epizootic IAB VEEV. We detected no differences between epizootic and enzootic IE viruses in their ability to infect any of the mosquito populations analyzed, which suggested that neither species selects for epizootic IE viruses. Psorophora columbiae f. columbiae (Texas) were significantly less susceptible to infection by epizootic IE than Ps. columbiae f. columbiae (Mexico). Psorophora columbiae f. toltecum populations were more susceptible than Ps. columbiae f. columbiae populations to epizootic IE and IAB viruses.
Moncayo
Abelardo C
AC
Center for Tropical Disease and Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-0609, USA. Abelardo.Moncayo@state.tn.us
Lanzaro
Gregory
G
Kang
Wenli
W
Orozco
Arnoldo
A
Ulloa
Armando
A
Arredondo-Jiménez
Juan
J
Weaver
Scott C
SC
D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D006224:Cricetinae; D009033:Culicidae / Q000145:classification / Q000821:virology*; D004666:Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D008647:Mesocricetus; D012703:Serotyping; D014709:Vero Cells