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. 2020 Apr 3;12(4):397.
doi: 10.3390/v12040397.

High Transmission Potential of West Nile Virus Lineage 1 for Cx. pipiens s.l. of Iran

Hasan Bakhshi  1 , Laurence Mousson  2 , Marie Vazeille  2 , Sedigheh Zakeri  1 , Abbasali Raz  1 , Xavier de Lamballerie  3 , Navid Dinparast-Djadid  1 , Anna-Bella Failloux  2
Affiliations

High Transmission Potential of West Nile Virus Lineage 1 for Cx. pipiens s.l. of Iran

Hasan Bakhshi et al. Viruses. .

Abstract

: Vector competence is an important parameter in evaluating whether a species plays a role in transmission of an arbovirus. Although the protocols are similar, interpretation of results is unique given the specific interactions that exist between a mosquito population and a viral genotype. Here, we assessed the infection (IR), dissemination (DR), and transmission (TR) rates of Cx. pipiens s.l., collected from Iran, for West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 1a. We showed that Cx. pipiens s.l. mosquitoes in Iran were susceptible to WNV with IR up to 89.7%, 93.6%, and 83.9% at 7, 14, and 21 days post-infection (dpi) respectively. In addition, DR and TR reached respectively 92.3% and 75.0% at 21 dpi, and the number of viral particles delivered with saliva reached up to 1.33 × 105 particles. Therefore, an unexpected high risk of WNV dissemination in the region where Cx. pipiens s.l. mosquitoes are well established should be considered carefully and surveillance measures implemented accordingly.

Keywords: Iran; West Nile virus; experimental infections; vector competence.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Infection rate (A) and viral RNA copies measured in bodies (B) at 7, 14, and 21 days after exposure of Culex pipiens s.l. to West Nile virus at a titer of 107.3 pfu/mL. Viral RNA particles were detected within bodies by RT-qPCR. ***p ≤ 0.001.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Infection, dissemination, and transmission rates (A); viral RNA copies in the body and head (B); and viral particles in saliva (C), 21 days after challenging Culex pipiens s.l. with West Nile virus at a titer of 107.3 pfu/mL.
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