Infection, Dissemination, and Transmission Potential of North American Culex quinquefasciatus , Culex tarsalis , and Culicoides sonorensis for Oropouche Virus

• Published in: Viruses Vol. 13; no. 2; p. 226
• Main Authors: McGregor, Bethany L, Connelly, C Roxanne, Kenney, Joan L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 02.02.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: arboviruses; Arthropods; Biting; Bunyaviridae infections; Ceratopogonidae; Culex quinquefasciatus; Culex tarsalis; Culicidae; Culicoides sonorensis; Disease; Epidemics; Fatalities; Infections; insect vectors; Insects; Morbidity; Mosquitoes; Mutation; Pathogens; Salivary gland; vector borne diseases; Vectors; Vectors (Biology); West Nile virus; Zika virus; Zirconium oxides; South America; Trinidad & Tobago; United States > US; Colorado; Florida; Bakersfield California; North America; Bunyaviridae infections; insect vectors; Ceratopogonidae; Culicidae; arboviruses; vector borne diseases
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v13020226

Oropouche virus (OROV), a vector-borne circulating in South and Central America, causes a febrile illness with high rates of morbidity but with no documented fatalities. Oropouche virus is transmitted by numerous vectors, including multiple genera of mosquitoes and biting midges in South America. This study investigated the vector competence of three North American vectors, , and , for OROV. Cohorts of each species were fed an infectious blood meal containing 6.5 log PFU/mL OROV and incubated for 10 or 14 days. demonstrated infection (3.13%) but not dissemination or transmission potential at 10 days post infection (DPI). At 10 and 14 DPI, demonstrated 9.71% and 19.3% infection, 2.91% and 1.23% dissemination, and 0.97% and 0.82% transmission potential, respectively. demonstrated 86.63% infection, 83.14% dissemination, and 19.77% transmission potential at 14 DPI. Based on these data, is unlikely to be a competent vector for OROV. demonstrated infection, dissemination, and transmission potential, although at relatively low rates. demonstrated high infection and dissemination but may have a salivary gland barrier to the virus. These data have implications for the spread of OROV in the event of a North American introduction.