Studies of the Biology of Phleboviruses in Sandflies.

Laboratory reared phlebotomine sand flies were experimentally infected with 11 different phleboviruses to determine their susceptibility following oral and parenteral administration. Most of the viruses replicated in sand flies after intrathoracic inoculation however, the insects were quite regractory to oral infection. Five of 9 phelboviruses tested were transovarially transmitted in one or more sand fly species. The percentage of infected F1 offspeing produced by parenterally infected female parents ranged from 1.5 - 60, depending upon the virus type used. These data support the hypothesis that some of the phleboviruses are maintained in sand flies transovarial transmission. A continuous culture LL-5 of sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis cells was also established and tested for its ability to support the growth of a number of different arboviruses. Most of the rhabdoviruses, orbiviruses, and flaviviruses tested in the LL-5 cells replicated, while most of the alphaviruses and phleboviruses did not. With the exception of Changuinola virus, replication of virus in the sand fly cell occurred without producing cytopathic effect. Originator-supplied keywords include Phlebotomus fever, Sand fly fever, Arbovirus, Medical entomology, Phlebotomus, Lutzomyia, Vector-borne diseases, and Insect cell cultures.