Amplification of tick-borne encephalitis virus infection during co-feeding of ticks
Language English Country Great Britain, England Media print
Document type Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- MeSH
- Arachnid Vectors microbiology MeSH
- Ticks microbiology MeSH
- Encephalitis, Tick-Borne transmission MeSH
- Larva microbiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Guinea Pigs MeSH
- Mice MeSH
- Nymph microbiology MeSH
- Viral Plaque Assay MeSH
- Polymerase Chain Reaction MeSH
- Virus Replication MeSH
- RNA, Viral analysis MeSH
- Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne genetics physiology MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Guinea Pigs MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Mice MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Names of Substances
- RNA, Viral MeSH
Following engorgement of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus larvae on guinea-pigs infected with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus, none of the engorged larvae or emergent nymphs contained detectable infectious virus. However, one of twelve pools, each containing three of the unfed nymphs, was positive when screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), indicating a low prevalence of TBE virus infection in the unfed nymphs. After engorgement of the nymphs on four uninfected guinea-pigs, 19/24 (79%) fed nymphs from one guinea-pig and 4/25 (16%) fed nymphs from a second guinea-pig were infected; all the ticks examined from the other two guinea-pigs were uninfected. The results suggest that TBE virus was transmitted from a low proportion of infected nymphs (infected as larvae) to uninfected nymphs as they fed together on an uninfected guinea-pig. Such amplification of the initial infection, at the population level, could play an important role in maintaining TBE virus infections in nature, particularly if there is a low level of vertical transmission from one tick generation to the next.
References provided by Crossref.org
Fitness of mCherry Reporter Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus in Tick Experimental Models
History of Arbovirus Research in the Czech Republic
