Hosts of Lutzomyia shannoni (Diptera: Psychodidae) in relation to vesicular stomatitis virus on Ossabaw Island, Georgia, U.S.A

Med Vet Entomol. 1994 Oct;8(4):325-30. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.1994.tb00096.x.

Abstract

Hosts of Lutzomyia shannoni Dyar, a suspected biological vector of the New Jersey serotype of vesicular stomatitis (VSNJ) virus, were determined using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of 333 blood-fed female sandflies collected from their diurnal resting shelters on Ossabaw Island, Georgia, U.S.A. Sandflies had fed primarily on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (81%) and to a lesser extent on feral swine (Sus scrofa) (16%), two species of host infected annually with VSNJ. Other hosts were raccoons (Procyon lotor) and horses (Equus caballus) or donkeys (E. asinus), with only two (< 1%) mixed bloodmeals from deer/raccoon and deer/swine. A larger proportion of feedings on feral swine was detected in maritime live oak forests than in mixed hardwood forests. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that L.shannoni is a primary vector of VSNJ virus on Ossabaw Island.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Wild
  • Deer / parasitology
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Georgia
  • Horses / parasitology
  • Insect Vectors*
  • Psychodidae / physiology*
  • Psychodidae / virology*
  • Raccoons / parasitology
  • Swine / parasitology
  • Vesiculovirus / isolation & purification*