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Factors Affecting Arbovirus Midgut Escape in Mosquitoes. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12020220. [PMID: 36839492 PMCID: PMC9963182 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12020220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Arboviral diseases spread by mosquitoes cause significant morbidity and mortality throughout much of the world. The treatment and prevention of these diseases through medication and vaccination is often limited, which makes controlling arboviruses at the level of the vector ideal. One way to prevent the spread of an arbovirus would be to stop its vector from developing a disseminated infection, which is required for the virus to make its way to the saliva of the mosquito to be potentially transmitted to a new host. The midgut of the mosquito provides one such opportunity to stop an arbovirus in its tracks. It has been known for many years that in certain arbovirus-vector combinations, or under certain circumstances, an arbovirus can infect and replicate in the midgut but is unable to escape from the tissue to cause disseminated infection. This situation is known as a midgut escape barrier. If we better understand why this barrier occurs, it might aid in the development of more informed control strategies. In this review, we discuss how the midgut escape barrier contributes to virus-vector specificity and possible mechanisms that may allow this barrier to be overcome in successful virus-vector combinations. We also discuss several of the known factors that either increase or decrease the likelihood of midgut escape.
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Vaughan JA, Newman RA, Turell MJ. Bird species define the relationship between West Nile viremia and infectiousness to Culex pipiens mosquitoes. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010835. [PMID: 36201566 PMCID: PMC9578590 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The transmission cycle of West Nile virus (WNV) involves multiple species of birds. The relative importance of various bird species to the overall transmission is often inferred from the level and duration of viremia that they experience upon infection. Reports utilizing in vitro feeding techniques suggest that the source and condition of blood in which arboviruses are fed to mosquitoes can significantly alter the infectiousness of arbovirus to mosquitoes. We confirmed this using live hosts. A series of mosquito feedings with Culex pipiens was conducted on WNV-infected American robins and common grackles over a range of viremias. Mosquitoes were assayed individually by plaque assay for WNV at 3 to 7 days after feeding. At equivalent viremia, robins always infected more mosquitoes than did grackles. We conclude that the infectiousness of viremic birds cannot always be deduced from viremia alone. If information concerning the infectiousness of a particular bird species is important, such information is best acquired by feeding mosquitoes directly on experimentally infected individuals of that species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jefferson A. Vaughan
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Robert A. Newman
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Turell
- Virology Division, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
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Greiman SE, Wilson RE, Sesmundo B, Reakoff J, Sonsthagen SA. Detection of Splendidofilaria sp. (Onchocercidae:Splendidofilariinae) Microfilaria within Alaskan Ground-Dwelling Birds in the Grouse Subfamily Tetraoninae Using Taqman Probe-Based Real-Time PCR. J Parasitol 2022; 108:192-198. [DOI: 10.1645/21-101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen E. Greiman
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, Georgia 30460
| | - Robert E. Wilson
- University of Nebraska State Museum, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588
| | - Briana Sesmundo
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, Georgia 30460
| | - Jack Reakoff
- Alaska Subsistence Hunter, 114 Newhouse Street, Wiseman Village, Alaska 99790
| | - Sarah A. Sonsthagen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508
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Vaughan JA, Hinson J, Andrews ES, Turell MJ. Pre-existing Microfilarial Infections of American Robins (Passeriformes: Turdidae) and Common Grackles (Passeriformes: Icteridae) Have Limited Impact on Enhancing Dissemination of West Nile Virus in Culex pipiens Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1389-1397. [PMID: 33257996 PMCID: PMC8122231 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Microfilariae (MF) are the immature stages of filarial nematode parasites and inhabit the blood and dermis of all classes of vertebrates, except fish. Concurrent ingestion of MF and arboviruses by mosquitoes can enhance mosquito transmission of virus compared to when virus is ingested alone. Shortly after being ingested, MF penetrate the mosquito's midgut and may introduce virus into the mosquito's hemocoel, creating a disseminated viral infection much sooner than normal. This phenomenon is known as microfilarial enhancement. Both American Robins and Common Grackles harbor MF-that is, Eufilaria sp. and Chandlerella quiscali von Linstow (Spirurida: Onchocercidae), respectively. We compared infection and dissemination rates in Culex pipiens L. mosquitoes that fed on birds with and without MF infections that had been infected with West Nile virus (WNV). At moderate viremias, about 107 plaque-forming units (pfu)/ml of blood, there were no differences in infection or dissemination rates among mosquitoes that ingested viremic blood from a bird with or without microfilaremia. At high viremias, >108.5 pfu/ml, mosquitoes feeding on a microfilaremic Grackle with concurrent viremia had significantly higher infection and dissemination rates than mosquitoes fed on viremic Grackles without microfilaremia. Microfilarial enhancement depends on the specific virus, MF, and mosquito species examined. How virus is introduced into the hemocoel by MF differs between the avian/WNV systems described here (i.e., leakage) and various arboviruses with MF of the human filarid, Brugia malayi (Brug) (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) (i.e., cotransport). Additional studies are needed to determine if other avian species and their MF are involved in the microfilarial enhancement of WNV in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juanita Hinson
- Virology Division, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD
| | - Elizabeth S Andrews
- Virology Division, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD
| | - Michael J Turell
- Virology Division, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD
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Vieri MK, Hendy A, Mokili JL, Colebunders R. Nodding syndrome research revisited. Int J Infect Dis 2021; 104:739-741. [PMID: 33556614 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Nodding syndrome is one of several forms of onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE) seen among children in areas formerly hyperendemic for the transmission of Onchocerca volvulus. These forms of epilepsy are highly prevalent and clustered in certain villages located close to blackfly (Diptera: Simuliidae) breeding sites. OAE presents with a wide spectrum of seizures, including generalized tonic-clonic and head nodding seizures, impaired cognitive function, growth stunting and delayed puberty. In 2014, the present authors published a perspective paper in this journal which hypothesized that nodding syndrome may be caused by either a neurotropic virus transmitted by blackflies or an endosymbiont present within the O. volvulus parasite. Seven years later, this critical review presents progress in nodding syndrome research, and assesses whether it is still plausible that a neurotropic virus or endosymbiont could be the cause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Krizia Vieri
- Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Molecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Adam Hendy
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - John L Mokili
- Viral Information Institute, Department of Biology, San Diego State University San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Robert Colebunders
- Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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Mosquito-borne parasites in the Great Plains: searching for vectors of nematodes and avian malaria parasites. Acta Trop 2021; 213:105735. [PMID: 33159896 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases in the United States have recently increased as a result of the changing nature of vectors, hosts, reservoirs, parasite/pathogens, and the ecological and environmental conditions. While most focus has been on mosquito-borne pathogens affecting humans, little is known regarding parasites of companion animal, livestock and wildlife and their potential mosquito hosts in the United States. This study assessed the prevalence of mature infections of Dirofilaria immitis and avian malaria parasites (Haemosporida) within urban mosquito (Diptera, Culicidae) communities in Oklahoma. 2,620 pools consisting of 12,686 mosquitoes from 13 species collected over two summers were tested for the presence of filarioid and haemosporidian DNA. Dirofilaria immitis-infected mosquitoes were detected only in Aedes albopictus (MIR=0.18-0.22) and Culex pipiens complex (MIR=0.12) collected in cities in central and southern Oklahoma. Two other filarioid nematode species with 91-92% similarity with Onchocerca spp. and Mansonella spp. were also detected. Haemosporidian DNA was detected in 13 mosquito pools (0.9% of pools tested) from seven mosquito species out of 13 species tested. Plasmodium DNA in four species (Cx. coronator, Cx. pipiens complex, Cx. tarsalis, and Psorophora columbiae) had high homology with published sequences of avian Plasmodium species while DNA in four other species (Cx. nigripalpus, Ps. columbiae, Anopheles quadrimaculatus, and An. punctipennis) were closely related to Plasmodium species from deer. One pool of Cx. tarsalis was positive with a 100% sequence identity of Haemoproteus sacharovi. This study provides a baseline concerning the diversity of parasites in different mosquito species present in the southern Great Plains. These studies provide important information for understanding the factors of transmission involving the mosquito community, potential hosts, and different mosquito-borne parasites in this important region involved in livestock management and wildlife conservation.
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Wilson AJ, Harrup LE. Reproducibility and relevance in insect-arbovirus infection studies. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 28:105-112. [PMID: 30551760 PMCID: PMC6299244 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Experimental infections of insects with arboviruses are performed to achieve a variety of objectives but principally to draw inferences about the potential role of field populations in transmission or to explore the molecular basis of vector-pathogen interactions. The design of such studies determines both their reproducibility and the extent to which their results can be extrapolated to natural environments, and is constrained by the resources available. We discuss recent findings regarding the effects of nutrition, the microbiome, co-infecting agents and feeding methods on the outcome of such experiments, and identify resource-efficient ways to increase their relevance and reproducibility, including the development of community standards for reporting such studies and better standards for cell line and colony authentication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony James Wilson
- The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF, United Kingdom.
| | - Lara Ellen Harrup
- The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF, United Kingdom
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Lim EXY, Lee WS, Madzokere ET, Herrero LJ. Mosquitoes as Suitable Vectors for Alphaviruses. Viruses 2018; 10:v10020084. [PMID: 29443908 PMCID: PMC5850391 DOI: 10.3390/v10020084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Alphaviruses are arthropod-borne viruses and are predominantly transmitted via mosquito vectors. This vector preference by alphaviruses raises the important question of the determinants that contribute to vector competence. There are several tissue barriers of the mosquito that the virus must overcome in order to establish a productive infection. Of importance are the midgut, basal lamina and the salivary glands. Infection of the salivary glands is crucial for virus transmission during the mosquito’s subsequent bloodfeed. Other factors that may contribute to vector competence include the microflora and parasites present in the mosquito, environmental conditions, the molecular determinants of the virus to adapt to the vector, as well as the effect of co-infection with other viruses. Though mosquito innate immunity is a contributing factor to vector competence, it will not be discussed in this review. Detailed understanding of these factors will be instrumental in minimising transmission of alphaviral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa X Y Lim
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia.
| | - Wai Suet Lee
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia.
| | - Eugene T Madzokere
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia.
| | - Lara J Herrero
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia.
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