Simultaneous Coinfections with West Nile Virus and Usutu Virus in <i>Culex pipiens</i> and <i>Aedes vexans</i> Mosquitoes.

ABSTRACT: The mosquito-borne zoonotic flaviviruses West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are endemic in many European countries and emerged in Germany in recent years. Due to the increasing overlap of their distribution areas and their similar epidemiology, coinfections of WNV and USUV are possible. Indeed, coinfections in vertebrate hosts as a rare event have already been reported from some countries including Germany. However, it is largely unknown whether and to what extent coinfections could affect the vector competence of mosquitoes for WNV and USUV. For this purpose, the mosquito species Culex pipiens biotype pipiens, Culex pipiens biotype molestus, and Aedes vexans were orally infected in mono- and simultaneous coinfections with German strains of WNV

SUBMITTER: Korsten C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12016996 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature