title: Susceptibility of a North American Culex quinquefasciatus to Japanese Encephalitis Virus.
abstract: Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a flavivirus that is transmitted by Culex (Cx.) tritaeniorhynchus in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. The endemic transmission cycle involves domestic pigs and avian species that serve as amplification hosts; humans are incidental hosts that cannot develop a high-titer viremia sufficient for mosquito infection. Although vaccination can be an effective strategy for disease prevention and is used extensively in multiple Asian countries, unvaccinated immunologically naïve human populations can suffer from severe neurological sequelae. The potential introduction of JEV into North America would be a major threat to human and animal health. In this study, field-collected Cx. quinquefasciatus from Valdosta, Georgia, were tested for their susceptibility to JEV and their potential to develop a disseminated infection via per os infection. These results demonstrate that North American Cx. quinquefasciatus are susceptible to JEV infection and subsequent dissemination at 14 days post infection (d.p.i.). Detection of viral RNA in saliva from infected mosquitoes also indicates competent vectors for JEV can be found in North America.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas.|2 Biosecurity Research Institute, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas.
authors.forename: Yan-Jang S
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas.|2 Biosecurity Research Institute, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas.
authors.forename: Julie N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Harbin
authors.affiliation: 2 Biosecurity Research Institute, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hettenbach
authors.affiliation: 3 Arthropod-borne Animal Disease Research Unit, Agriculture Research Service , United States Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, Kansas.
authors.forename: Elin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maki
authors.affiliation: 3 Arthropod-borne Animal Disease Research Unit, Agriculture Research Service , United States Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, Kansas.
authors.forename: Lee W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Cohnstaedt
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch , Galveston, Texas.|5 Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch , Galveston, Texas.
authors.forename: Alan D T
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas.|2 Biosecurity Research Institute, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Higgs
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas.|2 Biosecurity Research Institute, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas.
authors.forename: Dana L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Vanlandingham
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003465:Culex / Q000821:virology*; D004664:Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / Q000502:physiology*; D005845:Georgia; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology
keywords: Japanese encephalitis virus; North American Culex species mosquitoes; Vector competence