Mosquito Salivation and Virus Transmission

SummaryA method is described for collecting mosquito saliva in oil and measuring its volume and virus content. Preliminary results indicate that Culex pipiens may discharge 104.5 cubic microns of saliva per minute and that St. Louis encephalitis virus reaches a concentration of 109.9 suckling mouse LD50 per ml in the saliva. The concentration of virus was observed to change significantly in periods of time as short as one hour.