Chikungunya virus transmission between Aedes albopictus and laboratory mice.

ABSTRACT: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus associated with epidemics of acute and chronic arthritic disease in humans. Aedes albopictus has emerged as an important new natural vector for CHIKV transmission; however, mouse models for studying transmission have not been developed.Aedes albopictus mosquitoes were infected with CHIKV via membrane feeding and by using infected adult wild-type C57BL/6 mice. Paraffin sections of infected mosquitoes were analysed by immunofluorescent antibody staining using an anti-CHIKV antibody. CHIKV-infected mosquitoes were used to infect adult C57BL/6 and interferon response factor 3 and 7 deficient (IRF3/7-/-) mice.Feeding mosquitoes on blood meals with CHIKV titres?>?5 log10CCID50/ml, either by membrane feeding or feeding on infected mice, resulted in ???50 % of mosquitoes becoming infected. However, CHIKV titres in blood meals ???7 log10CCID50/ml were required before salivary glands showed significant levels of immunofluorescent staining with an anti-CHIKV antibody. Mosquitoes fed on blood meals of 7.5 (but not 5.9) log10CCID50/ml were able efficiently to transmit virus to adult C57BL/6 and IRF3/7-/- mice, with the latter mice showing overt signs of arthritis post-infection.The results provide a simple in vivo model for studying transmission of CHIKV from mosquitoes to mammals and also argue against a resistance barrier to CHIKV infection in adult mice.

SUBMITTER: Hugo LE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5069946 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature