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Experimental Infection of Aedes sollicitans and Aedes taeniorhynchus with Two Chimeric Sindbis/Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus Vaccine Candidates

Two chimeric vaccine candidates for Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) were developed by inserting the structural protein genes of either a North American (NA) or South American (SA) EEEV into a Sindbis virus (SINV) backbone. To assess the effect of chimerization on mosquito infectivity, experimental infections of two potential North American bridge vectors of EEEV, Aedes sollicitans and Ae. taeniorhynchus, were attempted. Both species were susceptible to oral infection with all viruses after ingestion of high titer blood meals of ca. 7.0 log₁₀ plaque-forming units/mL. Dissemination rates for SIN/NAEEEV (0 of 56) and SIN/SAEEEV (1 of 54) were low in Ae. taeniorhynchus and no evidence of transmission potential was observed. In contrast, the chimeras disseminated more efficiently in Ae. sollicitans (19 of 68 and 13 of 57, respectively) and were occasionally detected in the saliva of this species. These results indicate that chimerization of the vaccine candidates reduces infectivity. However, its impact on dissemination and potential transmission is mosquito species-specific.

Received August 1, 2007. Accepted for publication September 18, 2007.

Acknowledgments: We thank Jing Huang for help rearing and preparing mosquitoes for experimental infections.

Financial support: This work was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases through the Western Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant U54 AI057156. Nicole C. Arrigo was supported by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fellowship for training in vector-borne infectious diseases (T01/CCT622892) and by the NIH-sponsored Biodefense Training Program (T32-AI060549).

^* Address correspondence to Nicole C. Arrigo, Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, 4.142 Keiller Building, Galveston, TX 77555–0428. E-mail: ncarrigo{at}utmb.edu

Authors’ addresses: Nicole C. Arrigo, Douglas M. Watts, and Scott C. Weaver, Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, 4.142 Keiller Building, Galveston, TX 77555–0428, E-mails: ncarrigo{at}utmb.edu, dowatts{at}utmb.edu and sweaver{at}utmb.edu. Ilya Frolov, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, 4.142-B Medical Research Building, Galveston, TX 77555–1019, E-mail: ivfrolov{at}utmb.edu.