title: Transmission of endemic St Louis encephalitis virus strains by local Culex quinquefasciatus populations in Cordoba, Argentina.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  St Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is a re-emerging human pathogen widely distributed in the American continent. Although it is not fully understood, the SLEV transmission network may involve Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes as vectors and Columbidae species as hosts.
  
  
  METHODS
  To calculate infection rates, we inoculated Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes from Córdoba, Argentina by feeding them on viremic chicks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed differences in infection rate among the viral strains, the highest rate (78/87 mosquitoes, 90.8%) being seen in strain 78V-6507. After re-feeding on susceptible chicks, mosquitoes were able to transmit the virus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that Cx. quinquefasciatus populations are susceptible to and able to transmit different SLEV strains.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Arbovirus, Instituto de Virología 'Dr J. M. Vanella', Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Calle Enfermera Gordillo Gomez, Ciudad Universitaria, CP5016 Córdoba, Argentina. adrian.diaz@conicet.gov.ar
authors.forename: Luis Adrián
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Fernando Sebastián
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beranek
authors.forename: Maria Elisa
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rivarola
authors.forename: Walter Ricardo
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Almirón
authors.forename: Marta Silvia
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Contigiani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D002645:Chickens / Q000821:virology; D003465:Culex / Q000821:virology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004665:Encephalitis Virus, St. Louis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004674:Encephalitis, St. Louis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D014766:Viremia / Q000635:transmission