Experimental Transmission of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus by Diptera

A method of studying insect transmission of virus was developed, in which embryonating eggs were utilized as both the infective and susceptible hosts. This method was applied in some 700 trials to 28 species of biting diptera indigenous to Wisconsin. The following species were able to transmit the virus of vesicular stomatitis under experimental conditions for 1 to 3 days: Stomoxys calcitrans, Tabanus lasiophthalmus, T. trispilus, T. lineola var scutellaris, T. epistates, T. affinis, T. trepidus, Chrysops montana, C. striata, C. vittata, Aedes stricticus, A. stimulans, A. cinereus, and Culex tarsalis. Transfer of vesicular stomatitis virus by diptera appeared to be mechanical. Evidence of this lies in the number of species found to carry the virus, the failure to discover an extrinsic incubation period, and the rapid loss of ability to transmit the virus.