Cache Valley virus: experimental infection in Culiseta inornata

Experiments were conducted to examine the dynamics of Cache Valley virus in Culiseta inornata, the probable chief vector of the virus. Of about 1500 laboratory reared C. inornata exposed to viraemic suckling mice, 72 took a blood meal. A relatively high precentage (93%) of the latter mosquitoes became infected. The virus increased more than 100-fold in the experimentally infected mosquitoes. The increasing viral titres were noticed after 7 days and after 15 days. Peak titres averaged 105.0 (mean suckling mouse intracerebral lethal dose) SMICLD50/0.02 mL. The infected mosquitoes had peak titres until at least 35 days after the mosquitoes ingested blood from infected suckling mice. A single trasmission of virus by bite occurred 30 days after the viraemic blood meal. Transovarial transmission was demonstrated. In two experiments, 3.3 and 2.9% of infected mosquitoes transovarially transmitted Cache Valley virus to both male and female progeny. The minimum infection rate for the progeny was 2.05/1000 mosquitoes. This is the first reported experimental demonstration of transovarian transmission in a species of mosquito which overwinters as an adult. The role of transovarian transmission in the natural maintenance of Cache Valley virus remains undetermined.