Isolations of Cache Valley virus from Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in New Jersey and evaluation of its role as a regional arbovirus vector

J Med Entomol. 2013 Nov;50(6):1310-4. doi: 10.1603/me13099.

Abstract

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse), is an invasive species and a major pest problem in urban and suburban locales in New Jersey. To assess its potential role as an arbovirus vector, we sampled Ae. albopictus from two New Jersey counties over a 3-yr period and estimated the prevalence of virus infection by Vero cell culture and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays. Three virus isolates were obtained from 34,567 field-collected Ae. albopictus, and all were identified as Cache Valley virus by molecular methods. Ae. albopictus (N = 3,138), collected in Mercer County from late July through early September 2011, also were retested for West Nile virus (WNV) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and all were negative. These results corroborate previous findings showing that Ae. albopictus may occasionally acquire Cache Valley virus, a deer-associated arbovirus, in nature. In contrast, we did not detect WNV infection in Ae. albopictus despite concurrent WNV amplification in this region.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aedes / virology*
  • Animals
  • Bunyamwera virus / isolation & purification*
  • Bunyaviridae Infections / epidemiology*
  • Bunyaviridae Infections / virology
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Humans
  • Insect Vectors / virology*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • New Jersey / epidemiology
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Seasons
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Vero Cells
  • West Nile Fever / epidemiology*
  • West Nile Fever / virology
  • West Nile virus / isolation & purification*

Associated data

  • GENBANK/KF296339
  • GENBANK/KF296340
  • GENBANK/KF296341
  • GENBANK/KF296342
  • GENBANK/KF296343