A two-branched upgrade to demonstrate ITV transmission by blood-sucking insects

Adi Behar; Ashael Rot; Amira Altory-Natour; Irit Davidson

doi:10.1016/j.jviromet.2021.114229

A two-branched upgrade to demonstrate ITV transmission by blood-sucking insects

J Virol Methods. 2021 Oct:296:114229. doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2021.114229. Epub 2021 Jul 8.

Authors

Adi Behar¹, Ashael Rot², Amira Altory-Natour³, Irit Davidson³

Affiliations

¹ Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel. Electronic address: adib@moag.gov.il.
² Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel.
³ Division of Avian Diseases, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel.

PMID: 34245790
DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2021.114229

Abstract

The enveloped flavivirus Israel turkey meningoencephalitis virus (ITV) causes a neuroparalytic disease in adult turkeys leading to morbidity and mortality. This study reevaluates the role of blood-sucking insects in the transmission of ITV. We demonstrate the crucial importance of two factors in detecting viruses carried by blood-sucking insects: first, enhanced molecular detection of ITV in insects by nested qRT-PCR and second, collection and maintenance of live insects until their molecular examination. These upgrades allowed overcoming the small virus quantities contained in the insects and detecting ITV for the first time in field-collected Culex pipiens.

Keywords: Culex pipiens; Culicoides biting midge; Israel turkey meningoencephalomyelitis virus; Mosquito; Nested qRT-PCR; Turkey meningoencephalitis virus.

MeSH terms

Animals
Culex*
Flavivirus* / genetics
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Turkeys