Assessing the Vector Competence for Chikungunya Virus in Mosquitoes

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a human pathogenic, mosquito-borne virus (arbovirus), which is causing epidemic outbreaks among human populations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South- and Central America including the Caribbean. The development of novel approaches to prevent mosquito transmission of the virus in the field requires a detailed study of CHIKV interactions with its mosquito vectors in the laboratory. In this chapter, we describe how to prepare Aedes aegypti mosquitoes for the infection with freshly cultivated CHIKV. We also describe quantitative and qualitative viral detection assays in mosquitoes based on plaque assays and the amplification of saliva samples in cell culture.