Experimental infections of mosquitoes with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus

Shu-Yi Liang, Hong-Liang Chu, Xi-Ling Guo, Wei Wang, Hong-Na Chen, Yu-Fu Zhang, Yin Chen, Tao Wu, Chang-Jun Bao, Ming-Hao Zhou

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a newly identified emerging infectious disease, which is caused by a novel bunyavirus (termed SFTSV) in Asia. Although mosquitoes have not been identified as the primary vectors, as revealed by epidemiological surveys, their role in transmitting this SFTSV as a suspicious vector has not been validated. In this study, we conducted experimental infections of mosquitoes with SFTSV to examine the role of mosquitoes in the transmission of the virus. We did not detect viral replication in Culex pipiens pallens, Aedes aegyptis and Anopheles sinensis as revealed by qRT-PCR assay. In addition, we failed to isolate SFTSV from the Vero cells cultured with suspensions of SFTSV-infected mosquitoes. The results of the present study demonstrate little possibility that mosquitoes act as vectors for the emerging pathogen SFTSV.