title: No evidence for the persistence of Schmallenberg virus in overwintering mosquitoes.
abstract: In 2011, Schmallenberg virus (SBV), a novel member of the Simbu serogroup, genus Orthobunyavirus, was identified as the causative agent of a disease in ruminants in Europe. Based on the current knowledge on arthropods involved in the transmission of Simbu group viruses, a role of both midges and mosquitoes in the SBV transmission cycle cannot be excluded beforehand. The persistence of SBV in mosquitoes overwintering at SBV-affected farms in the Netherlands was investigated. No evidence for the presence of SBV in 868 hibernating mosquitoes (Culex, Anopheles, and Culiseta spp., collected from January to March 2012) was found. This suggests that mosquitoes do not play an important role, if any, in the persistence of SBV during the winter months in northwestern Europe.
authors.affiliation: Dutch National Centre for Monitoring of Vectors (CMV), Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Scholte
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Mars
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Braks
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Den Hartog
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ibañez-Justicia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koopmans
authors.forename: C J M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Koenraadt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Vries
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reusken
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002044:Bunyaviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D009033:Culicidae / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D009426:Netherlands; D016851:Orthobunyavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012621:Seasons; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Mosquito; overwintering; schmallenberg virus; vector