title: Culex pipiens and Stegomyia albopicta (= Aedes albopictus) populations as vectors for lineage 1 and 2 West Nile virus in Europe.
abstract: The emerging disease West Nile fever is caused by West Nile virus (WNV), one of the most widespread arboviruses. This study represents the first test of the vectorial competence of European Culex pipiens Linnaeus 1758 and Stegomyia albopicta (= Aedes albopictus) (both: Diptera: Culicidae) populations for lineage 1 and 2 WNV isolated in Europe. Culex pipiens and S. albopicta populations were susceptible to WNV infection, had disseminated infection, and were capable of transmitting both WNV lineages. This is the first WNV competence assay to maintain mosquito specimens under environmental conditions mimicking the field (day/night) conditions associated with the period of maximum expected WNV activity. The importance of environmental conditions is discussed and the issue of how previous experiments conducted in fixed high temperatures may have overestimated WNV vector competence results with respect to natural environmental conditions is analysed. The information presented should be useful to policymakers and public health authorities for establishing effective WNV surveillance and vector control programmes. This would improve preparedness to prevent future outbreaks.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brustolin
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Talavera
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santamaría
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rivas
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pujol
authors.affiliation: Servei de Control de Mosquits, Consell Comarcal del Baix Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aranda
authors.affiliation: Servei de Control de Mosquits de la Badia de Roses i del Baix Ter, Empuriabrava, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marquès
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valle
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verdún
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pagès
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Busquets
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D003465:Culex / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D013030:Spain; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000635:transmission*; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Aedes albopictus; Culex pipiens; FTA cards; Stegomyia albopicta; West Nile virus; environmental conditions; transmission; vector competence