Journal of Medical Entomology (2018) 55, 1575-1579

Mary E. Danforth, William K. Reisen and Christopher M. Barker (2018)
Detection of arbovirus transmission via sugar feeding in a laboratory setting
Journal of Medical Entomology 55 (6), 1575-1579
Abstract: Most species of mosquitoes consume sugar to survive and during sugar feeding can expectorate virus. Scientists have used this behavior to develop novel methods of mosquito control and arbovirus surveillance. In this study, we use sugar feeding and corresponding viral expectoration to develop an affordable method of monitoring individual mosquitoes for longitudinal data collection. Female Culex tarsalis Coquillett (Diptera: Culicidae) that consumed an infectious bloodmeal of West Nile virus were placed into separate containers and offered a sucrose-soaked cotton wick. Wicks were then collected daily and tested for virus with similar results to those from standard capillary tube method. This yielded a direct longitudinal estimate of the extrinsic incubation period, while using fewer mosquitoes. This approach could be used to further characterize variation in the amount and diversity of expectorated virus over the life span of individual mosquitoes.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): William K. Reisen

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
surveys/sampling/distribution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Culex tarsalis