WNV and SLEV coinfection in avian and mosquito hosts: impact on viremia, antibody responses, and vector competence
- Authors
- Type
- Published Article
- Journal
- Journal of Virology
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology
- Publication Date
- Sep 26, 2024
- Volume
- 98
- Issue
- 10
- Identifiers
- DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01041-24
- Source
- ASM Journals
- Keywords
- License
- Green
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) are closely related viruses that are transmitted by the same mosquitoes and infect the same birds in nature. Both viruses circulate in the same regions and have caused concurrent outbreaks in humans. It is possible that mosquitoes, birds, and/or humans could be infected with both WNV and SLEV simultaneously, as has been observed with Zika, chikungunya, and dengue viruses. To study the impact of coinfection, we experimentally infected vertebrate and invertebrate cells, American robins, and two Culex species with WNV and/or SLEV. Robins were efficiently coinfected, with no impact of coinfection on virus levels or immune response. Similarly, in mosquitoes, coinfection did not impact infection rates, and mosquitoes could transmit both WNV and SLEV together. These results reveal that WNV and SLEV coinfection in birds and mosquitoes can occur in nature, which may impact public health and human disease risk.
