Pathogenesis of Vesicular Stomatitis New Jersey Virus Infection in Deer Mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) Transmitted by Black Flies (Simulium vittatum)

Abstract

The natural transmission of vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV), an arthropod-borne virus, is not completely understood. Rodents may have a role as reservoir or amplifying hosts. In this study, juvenile and nestling deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus) were exposed to VSNJV-infected black fly ( Simulium vittatum) bites followed by a second exposure to naive black flies on the nestling mice. Severe neurological signs were observed in some juvenile mice by 6 to 8 days postinoculation (DPI); viremia was not detected in 25 juvenile deer mice following exposure to VSNJV-infected fly bites. Both juvenile and nestling mice had lesions and viral antigen in the central nervous system (CNS); in juveniles, their distribution suggested that the sensory pathway was the most likely route to the CNS. In contrast, a hematogenous route was probably involved in nestling mice, since all of these mice developed viremia and had widespread antigen distribution in the CNS and other tissues on 2 DPI. VSNJV was recovered from naive flies that fed on viremic nestling mice. This is the first report of viremia in a potential natural host following infection with VSNJV via insect bite and conversely of an insect becoming infected with VSNJV by feeding on a viremic host. These results, along with histopathology and immunohistochemistry, show that nestling mice have widespread dissemination of VSNJV following VSNJV-infected black fly bite and are a potential reservoir or amplifying host for VSNJV.

Venereal Transmission of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus by Culicoides sonorensis Midges

“…Outbreak viruses can overwinter with the same viral genotype re-emerging for a second-year outbreak [3,27], as occurred in 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2014-1015, and in the most recent 2019-2020 outbreaks. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the maintenance of VSV during inter-epidemic periods, mainly by suggesting the presence of a yet to be identified, natural mammalian reservoir [28,29]. However, from a vector perspective, the vertical and venereal transmission of arboviruses are possible maintenance mechanisms during inter-epidemic periods in which the virus is maintained in a vector population independent of feeding on viremic animals [30].…”

Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Transmission: A Comparison of Incriminated Vectors

“…As with most arbovirus transmission cycles, vertebrate hosts typically act as amplifying reservoirs capable of producing sustained levels of viremia. Serological surveys have shown that species, such as bats, deer, and monkeys, living in endemic areas develop neutralizing antibodies against the virus [2,18,20], and that small grass-eating rodents, such as cotton rats [18,19] and deer mice [75,76], might play a role in viral maintenance. However, a definitive natural viremic host reservoir for VSV is yet to be identified [2].…”

Environmental Risk Assessment for rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP, a Genetically Modified Live Vaccine for Ebola Virus Disease

“…The main natural host reservoir of Ebola virus is thought to be certain species of Old World fruit bats, but the virus is capable of transmission to many other mammalian species [1,[7][8][9][10]. The natural host reservoir of VSV is thought to be mainly small rodents, such as deer mice, with sandflies acting as transmission vectors; however, VSV is also capable of infecting many other animal species and can be transmitted via other insects [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]. a Pool feeders, i.e., hematophagous arthropods that lacerate their host's blood vessels and then consume the pooled blood.…”

“…); however, mosquitoes (which are 'capillary vessel feeders') may also be involved [15,19,[22][23][24][26][27][28]68]. Since there is generally only low, transient, or no VSV viremia in most infected vertebrates (other than experimentally infected rodents) [29,30], infection of biological vectors via ingestion of blood from a VSV-positive host is unlikely to be an important transmission route, albeit still possible [15]. Instead, infection of hematophagous vectors may occur either via co-feeding with already infected insects or via feeding around or in vesicular skin lesions [15,31].…”

“…Viremic small mammalian hosts then serve as an infection source for the sandfly vectors. In addition, a variety of other insect species may act as additional mechanical and/or biological vectors to transmit the virus to livestock and humans [15][16][17]19,21,[29][30][31]41].…”