Oral and transovarial transmission of La Crosse virus by Aedes atropalpus

Abstract

A recently colonized strain of Aedes atropalpus was shown to be equally susceptible to oral infection with La Crosse (LAC) virus as the natural vector, Aedes triseriatus. La Crosse virus was shown to replicate and persist at high titers in orally infected Ae. atropalpus. In addition, orally infected females transmitted virus efficiently to suckling mice by mosquito bite. Transovarial transmission of LAC virus was demonstrated by recovery of virus from larval progeny after parental females were infected either orally or by intrathoracic inoculation. Virus was recovered from larval progeny that developed from eggs produced both autogenously and anautogenously. Transovarial transmission of LAC virus to F1 adults was also shown, and the filial infection rates were similar to that obtained with a strain of Ae. triseriatus used for comparison.