Vector competence of Aedes aegypti, Culex tarsalis, and Culex quinquefasciatus from California for Zika virus.

Zika virus (ZIKV) has emerged since 2013 as a significant global human health threat following outbreaks in the Pacific Islands and rapid spread throughout South and Central America. Severe congenital and neurological sequelae have been linked to ZIKV infections. Assessing the ability of common mosq...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bradley J Main, Jay Nicholson, Olivia C Winokur, Cody Steiner, Kasen K Riemersma, Jackson Stuart, Ryan Takeshita, Michelle Krasnec, Christopher M Barker, Lark L Coffey
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2018-06-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006524
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850116693265743872
author Bradley J Main
Jay Nicholson
Olivia C Winokur
Cody Steiner
Kasen K Riemersma
Jackson Stuart
Ryan Takeshita
Michelle Krasnec
Christopher M Barker
Lark L Coffey
author_facet Bradley J Main
Jay Nicholson
Olivia C Winokur
Cody Steiner
Kasen K Riemersma
Jackson Stuart
Ryan Takeshita
Michelle Krasnec
Christopher M Barker
Lark L Coffey
author_sort Bradley J Main
collection DOAJ
description Zika virus (ZIKV) has emerged since 2013 as a significant global human health threat following outbreaks in the Pacific Islands and rapid spread throughout South and Central America. Severe congenital and neurological sequelae have been linked to ZIKV infections. Assessing the ability of common mosquito species to transmit ZIKV and characterizing variation in mosquito transmission of different ZIKV strains is important for estimating regional outbreak potential and for prioritizing local mosquito control strategies for Aedes and Culex species. In this study, we evaluated the laboratory vector competence of Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Culex tarsalis that originated in areas of California where ZIKV cases in travelers since 2015 were frequent. We compared infection, dissemination, and transmission rates by measuring ZIKV RNA levels in cohorts of mosquitoes that ingested blood meals from type I interferon-deficient mice infected with either a Puerto Rican ZIKV strain from 2015 (PR15), a Brazilian ZIKV strain from 2015 (BR15), or an ancestral Asian-lineage Malaysian ZIKV strain from 1966 (MA66). With PR15, Cx. quinquefasciatus was refractory to infection (0%, N = 42) and Cx. tarsalis was infected at 4% (N = 46). No ZIKV RNA was detected in saliva from either Culex species 14 or 21 days post feeding (dpf). In contrast, Ae. aegypti developed infection rates of 85% (PR15; N = 46), 90% (BR15; N = 20), and 81% (MA66; N = 85) 14 or 15 dpf. Although MA66-infected Ae. aegypti showed higher levels of ZIKV RNA in mosquito bodies and legs, transmission rates were not significantly different across virus strains (P = 0.13, Fisher's exact test). To confirm infectivity and measure the transmitted ZIKV dose, we enumerated infectious ZIKV in Ae. aegypti saliva using Vero cell plaque assays. The expectorated plaque forming units PFU varied by viral strain: MA66-infected expectorated 13±4 PFU (mean±SE, N = 13) compared to 29±6 PFU for PR15-infected (N = 13) and 35±8 PFU for BR15-infected (N = 6; ANOVA, df = 2, F = 3.8, P = 0.035). These laboratory vector competence results support an emerging consensus that Cx. tarsalis and Cx. quinquefasciatus are not vectors of ZIKV. These results also indicate that Ae. aegypti from California are efficient laboratory vectors of ancestral and contemporary Asian lineage ZIKV.
format Article
id doaj-art-8d8c0ad2a56c444493d6f5260e3df7e4
institution OA Journals
issn 1935-2727
1935-2735
language English
publishDate 2018-06-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
spelling doaj-art-8d8c0ad2a56c444493d6f5260e3df7e42025-08-20T02:36:15ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352018-06-01126e000652410.1371/journal.pntd.0006524Vector competence of Aedes aegypti, Culex tarsalis, and Culex quinquefasciatus from California for Zika virus.Bradley J MainJay NicholsonOlivia C WinokurCody SteinerKasen K RiemersmaJackson StuartRyan TakeshitaMichelle KrasnecChristopher M BarkerLark L CoffeyZika virus (ZIKV) has emerged since 2013 as a significant global human health threat following outbreaks in the Pacific Islands and rapid spread throughout South and Central America. Severe congenital and neurological sequelae have been linked to ZIKV infections. Assessing the ability of common mosquito species to transmit ZIKV and characterizing variation in mosquito transmission of different ZIKV strains is important for estimating regional outbreak potential and for prioritizing local mosquito control strategies for Aedes and Culex species. In this study, we evaluated the laboratory vector competence of Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Culex tarsalis that originated in areas of California where ZIKV cases in travelers since 2015 were frequent. We compared infection, dissemination, and transmission rates by measuring ZIKV RNA levels in cohorts of mosquitoes that ingested blood meals from type I interferon-deficient mice infected with either a Puerto Rican ZIKV strain from 2015 (PR15), a Brazilian ZIKV strain from 2015 (BR15), or an ancestral Asian-lineage Malaysian ZIKV strain from 1966 (MA66). With PR15, Cx. quinquefasciatus was refractory to infection (0%, N = 42) and Cx. tarsalis was infected at 4% (N = 46). No ZIKV RNA was detected in saliva from either Culex species 14 or 21 days post feeding (dpf). In contrast, Ae. aegypti developed infection rates of 85% (PR15; N = 46), 90% (BR15; N = 20), and 81% (MA66; N = 85) 14 or 15 dpf. Although MA66-infected Ae. aegypti showed higher levels of ZIKV RNA in mosquito bodies and legs, transmission rates were not significantly different across virus strains (P = 0.13, Fisher's exact test). To confirm infectivity and measure the transmitted ZIKV dose, we enumerated infectious ZIKV in Ae. aegypti saliva using Vero cell plaque assays. The expectorated plaque forming units PFU varied by viral strain: MA66-infected expectorated 13±4 PFU (mean±SE, N = 13) compared to 29±6 PFU for PR15-infected (N = 13) and 35±8 PFU for BR15-infected (N = 6; ANOVA, df = 2, F = 3.8, P = 0.035). These laboratory vector competence results support an emerging consensus that Cx. tarsalis and Cx. quinquefasciatus are not vectors of ZIKV. These results also indicate that Ae. aegypti from California are efficient laboratory vectors of ancestral and contemporary Asian lineage ZIKV.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006524
spellingShingle Bradley J Main
Jay Nicholson
Olivia C Winokur
Cody Steiner
Kasen K Riemersma
Jackson Stuart
Ryan Takeshita
Michelle Krasnec
Christopher M Barker
Lark L Coffey
Vector competence of Aedes aegypti, Culex tarsalis, and Culex quinquefasciatus from California for Zika virus.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Vector competence of Aedes aegypti, Culex tarsalis, and Culex quinquefasciatus from California for Zika virus.
title_full Vector competence of Aedes aegypti, Culex tarsalis, and Culex quinquefasciatus from California for Zika virus.
title_fullStr Vector competence of Aedes aegypti, Culex tarsalis, and Culex quinquefasciatus from California for Zika virus.
title_full_unstemmed Vector competence of Aedes aegypti, Culex tarsalis, and Culex quinquefasciatus from California for Zika virus.
title_short Vector competence of Aedes aegypti, Culex tarsalis, and Culex quinquefasciatus from California for Zika virus.
title_sort vector competence of aedes aegypti culex tarsalis and culex quinquefasciatus from california for zika virus
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006524
work_keys_str_mv AT bradleyjmain vectorcompetenceofaedesaegypticulextarsalisandculexquinquefasciatusfromcaliforniaforzikavirus
AT jaynicholson vectorcompetenceofaedesaegypticulextarsalisandculexquinquefasciatusfromcaliforniaforzikavirus
AT oliviacwinokur vectorcompetenceofaedesaegypticulextarsalisandculexquinquefasciatusfromcaliforniaforzikavirus
AT codysteiner vectorcompetenceofaedesaegypticulextarsalisandculexquinquefasciatusfromcaliforniaforzikavirus
AT kasenkriemersma vectorcompetenceofaedesaegypticulextarsalisandculexquinquefasciatusfromcaliforniaforzikavirus
AT jacksonstuart vectorcompetenceofaedesaegypticulextarsalisandculexquinquefasciatusfromcaliforniaforzikavirus
AT ryantakeshita vectorcompetenceofaedesaegypticulextarsalisandculexquinquefasciatusfromcaliforniaforzikavirus
AT michellekrasnec vectorcompetenceofaedesaegypticulextarsalisandculexquinquefasciatusfromcaliforniaforzikavirus
AT christophermbarker vectorcompetenceofaedesaegypticulextarsalisandculexquinquefasciatusfromcaliforniaforzikavirus
AT larklcoffey vectorcompetenceofaedesaegypticulextarsalisandculexquinquefasciatusfromcaliforniaforzikavirus