Mosquito Transmission of Equine Encephalomyelitis

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In the eastern U. S. A. equine encephalomyelitis is most frequent close to salt marshes and its epidemiology suggests that it is insect-borne. Tests showed that Aedes sollicitans, the most prevalent saltmarsh mosquito in these areas, is capable of transmitting it after feeding on infected brain suspension, or on infected guinea pigs or horses. Transmission was demonstrated by allowing these mosquitoes to bite normal guinea pigs. One attempt to transmit the disease to a horse was neg. This mosquito also transmitted the western type of virus from infected to normal guinea pigs. A few tests showed that Aedes canlator is capable of transmitting the eastern virus, but less readily than Aedes sollicitans. Attempts to transmit the disease by Culex pipiens and Anopheles quadrimaculatus were uniformly neg. While Aedes aegypti readily transmits the western type, it is only rarely that it is capable of transmitting the eastern type of virus. Both Aedes aegypti and A. sollicitans must be fed on virus of high titer before they are capable of transmission. It was further shown by titration exps. that the virus increases in mosquitoes, and that, once infected, they retain the virus for life.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: