title: La Crosse Encephalitis Virus Infection in Field-Collected Aedes albopictus, Aedes japonicus, and Aedes triseriatus in Tennessee.
abstract: La Crosse virus (LACV) is a mosquito-borne virus and a major cause of pediatric encephalitis in the USA. La Crosse virus emerged in Tennessee and other states in the Appalachian region in 1997. We investigated LACV infection rates and seasonal abundances of the native mosquito vector, Aedes triseriatus, and 2 recently introduced mosquito species, Ae. albopictus and Ae. japonicus, in an emerging disease focus in Tennessee. Mosquitoes were collected using multiple trapping methods specific for Aedes mosquitoes at recent human case sites. Mosquito pools were tested via reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the S segment to detect multiple Bunyamwera and California serogroup viruses, including LACV, as well as real-time RT-PCR of the M segment. A total of 54 mosquito pools were positive, including wild-caught adult females and laboratory-reared adults, demonstrating transovarial transmission in all 3 species. Maximum likelihood estimates (per 1,000 mosquitoes) were 2.72 for Ae. triseriatus, 3.01 for Ae. albopictus, and 0.63 for Ae. japonicus. We conclude that Ae. triseriatus and Ae. albopictus are important LACV vectors and that Ae. japonicus also may be involved in virus maintenance and transmission.
authors.affiliation: 1  Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Tennessee Department of Health, 630 Hart Lane, Nashville, TN 37216.|3  Present address, Tyson Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, 6750 Tyson Valley Road, Eureka, MO 63025.
authors.forename: Katie M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Westby
authors.affiliation: 1  Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Tennessee Department of Health, 630 Hart Lane, Nashville, TN 37216.
authors.forename: Charissa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fritzen
authors.affiliation: 2  Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, 2505 E.J. Chapman Drive, 370 Plant Biotechnology Building, Knoxville, TN 37996.
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paulsen
authors.affiliation: 1  Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Tennessee Department of Health, 630 Hart Lane, Nashville, TN 37216.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poindexter
authors.affiliation: 1  Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Tennessee Department of Health, 630 Hart Lane, Nashville, TN 37216.
authors.forename: Abelardo C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Moncayo
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology*; D018062:La Crosse virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D011157:Population Dynamics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012621:Seasons; D013045:Species Specificity; D013714:Tennessee
keywords: Aedes albopictus; Aedes japonicus; Aedes triseriatus; La Crosse virus; Tennessee