Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium populations from Central Europe are susceptible to West Nile virus infection
West Nile virus (WNV), a Flavivirus with an avian primary host, is already widespread in Europe and might also pose an infection risk to Germany, should competent mosquito vectors be present. Therefore, we analysed the ability of WNV to infect German Culex mosquitoes with special emphasis on field c...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2016-12-01
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| Series: | One Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352771415300197 |
| _version_ | 1819145475476946944 |
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| author | Mayke Leggewie Marlis Badusche Martin Rudolf Stephanie Jansen Jessica Börstler Ralf Krumkamp Katrin Huber Andreas Krüger Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit Egbert Tannich Stefanie C. Becker |
| author_facet | Mayke Leggewie Marlis Badusche Martin Rudolf Stephanie Jansen Jessica Börstler Ralf Krumkamp Katrin Huber Andreas Krüger Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit Egbert Tannich Stefanie C. Becker |
| author_sort | Mayke Leggewie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | West Nile virus (WNV), a Flavivirus with an avian primary host, is already widespread in Europe and might also pose an infection risk to Germany, should competent mosquito vectors be present. Therefore, we analysed the ability of WNV to infect German Culex mosquitoes with special emphasis on field collected specimens of Culex torrentium and Culex pipiens biotype pipiens. We collected egg rafts of Culex mosquitoes over two subsequent seasons at two geographically distinct sampling areas in Germany and differentiated the samples by molecular methods. Adult females, reared from the various egg rafts, were challenged with WNV by feeding of artificial blood meals. WNV infection was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR and virus titration. The results showed that field collected C. pipiens biotype pipiens and C. torrentium mosquitoes native to Germany are susceptible to WNV infection at 25 °C as well as 18 °C incubation temperature. C. torrentium mosquitoes, which have not been established as WNV vector so far, were the most permissive species tested with maximum infection rates of 96% at 25 °C. Furthermore, a disseminating infection was found in up to 94% of tested C. pipiens biotype pipiens and 100% of C. torrentium. Considering geographical variation of susceptibility, C. pipiens biotype pipiens mosquitoes from Southern Germany were more susceptible to WNV infection than corresponding populations from Northern Germany. All in all, we observed high infection and dissemination rates even at a low average ambient temperature of 18 °C. The high susceptibility of German Culex populations for WNV indicates that an enzootic transmission cycle in Germany could be possible. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T12:58:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5160c95001fe4571a3090667373d121f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2352-7714 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T12:58:37Z |
| publishDate | 2016-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | One Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-5160c95001fe4571a3090667373d121f2022-12-21T18:25:02ZengElsevierOne Health2352-77142016-12-012C889410.1016/j.onehlt.2016.04.001Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium populations from Central Europe are susceptible to West Nile virus infectionMayke Leggewie0Marlis Badusche1Martin Rudolf2Stephanie Jansen3Jessica Börstler4Ralf Krumkamp5Katrin Huber6Andreas Krüger7Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit8Egbert Tannich9Stefanie C. Becker10Molecular Entomology Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyMolecular Entomology Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyMolecular Entomology Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyMolecular Entomology Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyArbovirology Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyResearch Group Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyMolecular Entomology Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyBundeswehr Hospital Hamburg, Department Tropical Medicine, Entomology Group, Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse 74, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyArbovirology Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyGerman Centre for Infection Research, partner site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel, Hamburg, GermanyMolecular Entomology Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyWest Nile virus (WNV), a Flavivirus with an avian primary host, is already widespread in Europe and might also pose an infection risk to Germany, should competent mosquito vectors be present. Therefore, we analysed the ability of WNV to infect German Culex mosquitoes with special emphasis on field collected specimens of Culex torrentium and Culex pipiens biotype pipiens. We collected egg rafts of Culex mosquitoes over two subsequent seasons at two geographically distinct sampling areas in Germany and differentiated the samples by molecular methods. Adult females, reared from the various egg rafts, were challenged with WNV by feeding of artificial blood meals. WNV infection was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR and virus titration. The results showed that field collected C. pipiens biotype pipiens and C. torrentium mosquitoes native to Germany are susceptible to WNV infection at 25 °C as well as 18 °C incubation temperature. C. torrentium mosquitoes, which have not been established as WNV vector so far, were the most permissive species tested with maximum infection rates of 96% at 25 °C. Furthermore, a disseminating infection was found in up to 94% of tested C. pipiens biotype pipiens and 100% of C. torrentium. Considering geographical variation of susceptibility, C. pipiens biotype pipiens mosquitoes from Southern Germany were more susceptible to WNV infection than corresponding populations from Northern Germany. All in all, we observed high infection and dissemination rates even at a low average ambient temperature of 18 °C. The high susceptibility of German Culex populations for WNV indicates that an enzootic transmission cycle in Germany could be possible.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352771415300197Culex mosquitoesWest Nile virusInfection assay |
| spellingShingle | Mayke Leggewie Marlis Badusche Martin Rudolf Stephanie Jansen Jessica Börstler Ralf Krumkamp Katrin Huber Andreas Krüger Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit Egbert Tannich Stefanie C. Becker Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium populations from Central Europe are susceptible to West Nile virus infection One Health Culex mosquitoes West Nile virus Infection assay |
| title | Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium populations from Central Europe are susceptible to West Nile virus infection |
| title_full | Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium populations from Central Europe are susceptible to West Nile virus infection |
| title_fullStr | Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium populations from Central Europe are susceptible to West Nile virus infection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium populations from Central Europe are susceptible to West Nile virus infection |
| title_short | Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium populations from Central Europe are susceptible to West Nile virus infection |
| title_sort | culex pipiens and culex torrentium populations from central europe are susceptible to west nile virus infection |
| topic | Culex mosquitoes West Nile virus Infection assay |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352771415300197 |
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