title: Ability of selected Kenyan mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) species to transmit West Nile virus under laboratory conditions.
abstract: West Nile virus (WNV) is currently active in Kenya as evidenced by the detection of antibodies in birds bled as part of an avian influenza surveillance program in 2009. Although WNV has been isolated from several mosquito species in Kenya, no studies have ever been conducted to determine which of these species are competent vectors of this virus. Therefore, we allowed Kenyan mosquitoes to feed on 2- or 3-d-old chickens that had been infected with a Lineage one strain of WNV 24-48 h earlier. These mosquitoes were tested approximately 2 wk later to determine infection, dissemination, and transmission rates. All five species [Culex quinquefasciatus Say, Culex univittatus Theobald, Culex vansomereni Edwards, Mansonia africana (Theobald), and Mansonia uniformis (Theobald)] were susceptible to infection, but disseminated infections were detected only in the three Culex, and not the two Mansonia species. Culex mosquitoes with a disseminated infection readily transmitted virus by bite, but even when inoculated with WNV, the two Mansonia failed to transmit virus, indicating a salivary gland barrier. These studies indicate that the three Culex species may play a role in the transmission of WNV in Kenya.
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Joel L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lutomiah
authors.forename: Hellen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koka
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mutisya
authors.forename: Santos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yalwala
authors.forename: Milka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muthoni
authors.forename: Albina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Makio
authors.forename: Samson
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Limbaso
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Musila
authors.forename: Jeffrey W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Turell
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kioko
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schnabel
authors.forename: Rosemary C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Sang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D003465:Culex / Q000821:virology*; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D014766:Viremia; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000635:transmission*; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000502:physiology*