BACKGROUND: West Nile virus (WNV) activity has been documented in the central region of Argentina since 2005, but its maintenance network has not been elucidated yet. METHODS: We evaluated the susceptibility to WNV oral infection and transmission in a Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus mosquito population by means of a dose-dependent vector competence assay. Mosquitoes were orally infected with five different viral loads and evaluated for viral infection, dissemination and transmission. RESULTS: The evaluated population was susceptible to WNV oral infection. Disseminated infections were detected in all the viral doses but transmission was only detected in the higher doses (6 and 7 log10 plaque-forming units/ml). A linear relationship between doses and transmission rates could be established. CONCLUSIONS: A minimum transmission threshold suggests that the Cu. p. quinquefasciatus from Argentina could acquire WNV infection from local urban birds and transmit the virus.
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Giayetto et al. (2020) studied this question.
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