title: La Crosse virus infection alters blood feeding behavior in Aedes triseriatus and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae).
abstract: The effects of La Crosse virus (LACV) infection on blood feeding behavior in Aedes triseriatus (Say) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) were investigated in the laboratory by measuring the size of the bloodmeal imbibed and the extent of refeeding by virus-infected and uninfected mosquitoes. LACV-infected Ae. triseriatus and Ae. albopictus took significantly less blood compared with uninfected mosquitoes. Twice as many virus-infected Ae. triseriatus mosquitoes refed compared with uninfected individuals (18 vs. 9%; P < 0.05); however, virus infection had no significant effect on the refeeding rate of Ae. albopictus. Reduction in bloodmeal size followed by an increased avidity for refeeding may lead to enhanced horizontal transmission of the LACV by its principal vector, Ae. triseriatus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210-1242 USA. brjacks3@gmail.com
authors.forename: Bryan T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Carlyle C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Brewster
authors.forename: Sally L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Paulson
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D018062:La Crosse virus / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D014709:Vero Cells