Bunyavirus isolations from mosquitoes in the western Canadian Arctic

• Published in: Journal of Hygiene
• Main Authors: McLean, D. M., Grass, P. N., Judd, B. D., Ligate, L. V., Peter, K. K.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1977
• Subjects: Inuvik; Mackenzie Valley; Northwest Territories
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022172400052852; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022172400052852

SUMMARY Strains of California encephalitis virus (snowshoe hare subtype) were isolated from 8 of 475 pools comprising 23747 unengorged female mosquitoes of five species collected at three of six locations throughout the Mackenzie Valley of the Northwest Territories, Canada, from latitudes 60 to 69° N between 10 and 24 July 1976. Minimum field infection rates included 1:2734 for Aedes communis , 1:256 to 1:3662 for A. hexodontus and 1:911 to 1:1611 for A. punctor. Northway virus was also isolated from 1 of 3662 A. hexodontus mosquitoes collected at Inuvik (69° N, 135° W). Transmission of CE virus by A. communis infected by feeding on virus in defibrinated blood and incubation at 0, 13 and 23 °C for 13–20 days clearly demonstrates the importance of this species as a natural vector, and transmission of CE virus by Culiseta inornata after incubation at 0 and 13 °C following intrathoracic injection strengthens evidence of its role as a natural vector. Immunofiuorescence was less reliable than imunoperoxidase for detection of CE viral antigen in mosquito salivary glands.