title: Arbovirus prevalence in mosquitoes, Kenya.
abstract: Few studies have investigated the many mosquito species that harbor arboviruses in Kenya. During the 2006-2007 Rift Valley fever outbreak in North Eastern Province, Kenya, exophilic mosquitoes were collected from homesteads within 2 affected areas: Gumarey (rural) and Sogan-Godud (urban). Mosquitoes (n = 920) were pooled by trap location and tested for Rift Valley fever virus and West Nile virus. The most common mosquitoes trapped belonged to the genus Culex (75%). Of 105 mosquito pools tested, 22% were positive for Rift Valley fever virus, 18% were positive for West Nile virus, and 3% were positive for both. Estimated mosquito minimum infection rates did not differ between locations. Our data demonstrate the local abundance of mosquitoes that could propagate arboviral infections in Kenya and the high prevalence of vector arbovirus positivity during a Rift Valley fever outbreak.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California 94609, USA. alabeaud@chori.org
authors.forename: A Desiree
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: LaBeaud
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muiruri
authors.forename: Eric M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Muchiri
authors.forename: Laurie R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
authors.forename: Amy G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hise
authors.forename: Charles H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001103:Arboviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003465:Culex / Q000821:virology*; D009033:Culicidae / Q000145:classification / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012295:Rift Valley Fever / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D012296:Rift Valley fever virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral