Culex mosquitoes are experimentally unable to transmit Zika virus.
We report that two laboratory colonies of Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex pipiens mosquitoes were experimentally unable to transmit ZIKV either up to 21 days post an infectious blood meal or up to 14 days post intrathoracic inoculation. Infectious viral particles were detected in bodies, heads or saliva by a plaque forming unit assay on Vero cells. We therefore consider it unlikely that Culex mosquitoes are involved in the rapid spread of ZIKV.
Institut Pasteur, Arboviruses and Insect Vectors, Department of Virology, Paris, France.
Fadila
F
Amraoui
Célestine
C
Atyame-Nten
Anubis
A
Vega-Rúa
Ricardo
R
Lourenço-de-Oliveira
Marie
M
Vazeille
Anna Bella
AB
Failloux
D000818:Animals; D003465:Culex / Q000821:virology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D006257:Head / Q000821:virology; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000821:virology; D013997:Time Factors; D014709:Vero Cells / Q000473:pathology; D019562:Viral Load; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay; D000071244:Zika Virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000071243:Zika Virus Infection / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*
Culex mosquitoes; vector competence; zika