The role of mosquito saliva on host immune response and pathogenesis of West Nile virus\r\n
type: CreativeWork
description: West Nile virus is a positive sense single-stranded RNA virus in the family Flaviviridae that emerged globally following the appearance of a more neurotropic subtype. Recently outbreaks of WNV disease have occurred in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, South America, and North America. Vertebrates typically become infected when an infectious mosquito pierces the host epidermis to take a blood meal, depositing virus principally in the extravascular tissue. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that the mosquito saliva, which carries WNV into the vertebrate, is not simply a transport medium, but can have a profound effect on vertebrate immunity, pathogen transmission efficiency, pathogenesis, and disease course. In the past most small animal models of arbovirus disease have used needle-inoculation, but recent evidence suggests that because of the potential effects of mosquito saliva on the immune system, it is important to re-evaluate the pathogenesis of these infections in the presence of mosquito saliva. A central question of this dissertation project was to determine if mosquito feeding or mosquito saliva could impact WNV disease. To evaluate the potential for mosquito saliva to alter WNV infection, the mouse model of disease employed in this dissertation revealed a potentiation of WNV disease when mosquitoes were allowed to feed at the virus inoculation site immediately before injection of WNV. Further, with higher titer inoculations of WNV subsequent to the feeding of mosquitoes more progressive infection, higher viremia, and accelerated neuroinvasion developed than the mice inoculated with an equivalent titer of WNV alone. To determine the mechanism of this potentiation, the in vivo expression of key TH1, TH2, inflammatory, and antiviral cytokines was quantified during peripheral arbovirus infection in the presence or absence of mosquito saliva. Data clearly showed that during early arbovirus infection mosquito salivary proteins down-modulates specific antiviral …
abstract: West Nile virus is a positive sense single-stranded RNA virus in the family Flaviviridae that emerged globally following the appearance of a more neurotropic subtype. Recently outbreaks of WNV disease have occurred in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, South America, and North America. Vertebrates typically become infected when an infectious mosquito pierces the host epidermis to take a blood meal, depositing virus principally in the extravascular tissue. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that the mosquito saliva, which carries WNV into the vertebrate, is not simply a transport medium, but can have a profound effect on vertebrate immunity, pathogen transmission efficiency, pathogenesis, and disease course. In the past most small animal models of arbovirus disease have used needle-inoculation, but recent evidence suggests that because of the potential effects of mosquito saliva on the immune system, it is important to re-evaluate the pathogenesis of these infections in the presence of mosquito saliva. A central question of this dissertation project was to determine if mosquito feeding or mosquito saliva could impact WNV disease. To evaluate the potential for mosquito saliva to alter WNV infection, the mouse model of disease employed in this dissertation revealed a potentiation of WNV disease when mosquitoes were allowed to feed at the virus inoculation site immediately before injection of WNV. Further, with higher titer inoculations of WNV subsequent to the feeding of mosquitoes more progressive infection, higher viremia, and accelerated neuroinvasion developed than the mice inoculated with an equivalent titer of WNV alone. To determine the mechanism of this potentiation, the in vivo expression of key TH1, TH2, inflammatory, and antiviral cytokines was quantified during peripheral arbovirus infection in the presence or absence of mosquito saliva. Data clearly showed that during early arbovirus infection mosquito salivary proteins down-modulates specific antiviral …
author: Bradley S Schneider
language: eng
keywords: west nile virus, vector, saliva, mosquito, immunomodulation, arbovirus
date published: 2006-11-03
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:50:59Z
provider: University of Texas Medical Branch
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: The University of Texas Medical Branch

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2152.3/264