Field studies were conducted during an epizoötic of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in Colorado to further assess the possible role of insects in the transmission of VSV. Insects associated with domestic livestock were collected at 11 premises along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado during the 1982 epizoötic of vesicular stomatitis. Insects were pooled by date, location, species, and sex and were processed for virus isolation in three cell culture systems. Thirty-four isolates of vesicular stomatitis virus, New Jersey serotype, were obtained from 51,036 insects. Of these, 27 isolates were from Musca domestica (126 pools/5,285 specimens), 5 from other nonhematophagous Diptera (56 pools/936 specimens), and 2 from unengorged black flies (Simuliidae) (55 pools/1,221 specimens). Results suggest that nonblood-feeding insects, such as houseflies, play a role in VSV transmission and that black flies also serve as vectors.
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Francy et al. (1988) studied this question.