Experimental investigation of the susceptibility of Italian Culex pipiens mosquitoes to Zika virus infection.
We investigated the susceptibility of an Italian population of Culex pipiens mosquitoes to Zika virus (ZIKV) infection, tested in parallel with Aedes aegypti, as a positive control. We analysed mosquitoes at 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 20 and 24 days after an infectious blood meal. Viral RNA was detected in the body of Cx. pipiens up to three days post-infection, but not at later time points. Our results indicate that Cx. pipiens is not susceptible to ZIKV infection.
Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Daniela
D
Boccolini
Luciano
L
Toma
Marco
M
Di Luca
Francesco
F
Severini
R
R
Romi
Maria Elena
ME
Remoli
Michela
M
Sabbatucci
Giulietta
G
Venturi
Giovanni
G
Rezza
Claudia
C
Fortuna
D000330:Aedes / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D003465:Culex / Q000821:virology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019562:Viral Load; D000071244:Zika Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D000071243:Zika Virus Infection / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology
Ae aegypti; Cx pipiens; Italy; Zika virus; experimental infection; vector competence