FLUORESCENT-ANTIBODY STUDIES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF DENGUE-2 VIRUS IN AEDES-ALBOPICTUS (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE)

Aedes albopictus mosquitoes were fed a blood suspension containing dengue-2 virus. Lots of these mosquitoes were collected every other day for 3 weeks and tested by the fluorescent antibody technique, with the purpose of demonstrating the development of dengue virus. Two days after ingestion of an infectious blood meal, dengue virus antigen was limited to the cells of the posterior midgut. The proventriculus, fat body, nervous system, ovariole sheath and small portions of the salivary glands displayed fluorescence by the 6th day after infection. After day 6, dengue antigen was found disseminated in numerous tissues. The amount of demonstrable antigen and intensity of fluorescence was most marked in structures of the nervous system. Viral antigen was not consistently and uniformly demonstrated in the salivary glands, and qualitatively the type of fluorescence was different from that of other infected tissues. Dengue antigen was not demonstrated in eggs or the spermatheca.