Mosquitoes as Vectors of Viral Pathogens

The role of arthropods in the transmission of human and animal disease agents is a significant focus of research for medical entomologists. Insects in the families Culicidae, Psychodidae, Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, Glossinidae, Pulicidae, Reduviidae, along with several species of ticks are responsible for the vast majority of vector-borne disease. These insects are capable of transmitting pathogens as diverse as protozoa, helminths, bacteria, and viruses. This section will focus specifically on viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes, or arboviruses (from arthropod-borne viruses). These viruses are defined by their ability to replicate in, and be transmitted between, both their vertebrate host and their invertebrate vector. It is this unique ability to propagate in dual host systems that differentiates them from other viruses that may be able to be spread only mechanically by insect vectors. However, this characteristic is also likely to be one factor that delineates the natural...