Prior exposure to uninfected mosquitoes enhances mortality in naturally-transmitted West Nile virus infection.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The global emergence of West Nile virus (WNV) has highlighted the importance of mosquito-borne viruses. These are inoculated in vector saliva into the vertebrate skin and circulatory system. Arthropod-borne (arbo)viruses such as WNV are transmitted to vertebrates as an infectious mosquito probes the skin for blood, depositing the virus and saliva into the skin and circulation. Growing evidence has demonstrated that arthropod, and recently mosquito, saliva can have a profound effect on pathogen transmission efficiency, pathogenesis, and disease course. A potentially important aspect of natural infections that has been ignored is that in nature vertebrates are typically exposed to the feeding of uninfected mosquitoes prior to the mosquito that transmits WNV. The possibilit

SUBMITTER: Schneider BS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2048662 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature