Comparative Usutu and West Nile virus transmission potential by local Culex pipiens mosquitoes in north-western Europe.

ABSTRACT: Originating from Africa, Usutu virus (USUV) first emerged in Europe in 2001. This mosquito-borne flavivirus caused high mortality rates in its bird reservoirs, which strongly resembled the introduction of West Nile virus (WNV) in 1999 in the United States. Mosquitoes infected with USUV incidentally transmit the virus to other vertebrates, including humans, which can result in neuroinvasive disease. USUV and WNV co-circulate in parts of southern Europe, but the distribution of USUV extends into central and northwestern Europe. In the field, both viruses have been detected in the northern house mosquito Culex pipiens, of which the potential for USUV transmission is unknown. To understand the transmission dynamics and assess the potential spread of USUV, we determined the vector compet

SUBMITTER: Fros JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5441354 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature