title: Chikungunya virus transmission between Aedes albopictus and laboratory mice.
abstract: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus associated with epidemics of acute and chronic arthritic disease in humans. Aedes albopictus has emerged as an important new natural vector for CHIKV transmission; however, mouse models for studying transmission have not been developed.
  
  
  
  Aedes albopictus mosquitoes were infected with CHIKV via membrane feeding and by using infected adult wild-type C57BL/6 mice. Paraffin sections of infected mosquitoes were analysed by immunofluorescent antibody staining using an anti-CHIKV antibody. CHIKV-infected mosquitoes were used to infect adult C57BL/6 and interferon response factor 3 and 7 deficient (IRF3/7-/-) mice.
  
  
  
  Feeding mosquitoes on blood meals with CHIKV titres > 5 log10CCID50/ml, either by membrane feeding or feeding on infected mice, resulted in  ≥ 50 % of mosquitoes becoming infected. However, CHIKV titres in blood meals  ≥ 7 log10CCID50/ml were required before salivary glands showed significant levels of immunofluorescent staining with an anti-CHIKV antibody. Mosquitoes fed on blood meals of 7.5 (but not 5.9) log10CCID50/ml were able efficiently to transmit virus to adult C57BL/6 and IRF3/7-/-mice, with the latter mice showing overt signs of arthritis post-infection.
  
  
  
  The results provide a simple in vivo model for studying transmission of CHIKV from mosquitoes to mammals and also argue against a resistance barrier to CHIKV infection in adult mice.
authors.affiliation: Mosquito Control, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, 4029, Australia.
authors.forename: Leon E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Hugo
authors.affiliation: Inflammation Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, 4029, Australia.
authors.forename: Natalie A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Prow
authors.affiliation: Inflammation Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, 4029, Australia.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Mosquito Control, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, 4029, Australia.
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Devine
authors.affiliation: Inflammation Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, 4029, Australia. Andreas.Suhrbier@qimrberghofer.edu.au.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suhrbier
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D065632:Chikungunya Fever / Q000635:transmission*; D002646:Chikungunya virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000821:virology
keywords: Aedes albopictus; Chikungunya virus; Mouse model