Rift Valley Fever Virus Transmission by Different Egyptian Mosquito Species

摘要

Four Egyptian mosquito species were tested for their ability to transmit the Egyptian ZH-501 strain of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) to golden Syrian hamsters. Culex (Cx.) antennatus was the most efficient vector, showing a 37.5% transmission rate following a hamster blood meal. Fully engorged mosquitoes of this species showed an infection rate of 85% with the mean viral titres of transmitting mosquitoes 100-fold higher than non-transmitters. Autogenous and anautogenous populations of Aedes (Ae.) caspius were tested separately, and the transmission rates under similar conditions. In these three species infection rates exceeded 75% and mosquitoes transmitting had a higher average titre than those not transmitting.