Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40731290›Full record

ArticleParasites & vectors2025

Impact of temperature on vector competence of Culex pipiens molestus: implications for Usutu virus transmission in temperate regions.

Nicola Seechurn, Jack Pilgrim, Ken Sherlock, Jolanta Tanianis-Hughes, Marcus Blagrove, Grant L Hughes, Jolyon M Medlock, Nicholas Johnson, Matthew Baylis

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Article in Parasites & vectors, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Nicola SeechurnDepartment of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. n.seechurn@btinternet.com.
Jack PilgrimDepartment of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Ken SherlockDepartment of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Jolanta Tanianis-HughesDepartment of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Marcus BlagroveDepartment of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Grant L HughesDepartment of Vector Biology and Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
Jolyon M MedlockUK Field Epidemiology Training Programme Field Service, South East and London, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK.
Nicholas JohnsonVector Borne Diseases, Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Surrey, KT15 3NB, UK.
Matthew BaylisDepartment of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUsutu virus (USUV) has been detected annually in the southeast of England since 2020. USUV RNA has been identified in wild birds and mosquito populations, and exposure of captive birds to USUV has also been confirmed in the UK. Since its first detection in London, USUV's distribution has expanded across the South East, highlighting necessity to understand USUV transmission dynamics in the UK. The primary vectors of USUV in the UK are likely Culex pipiens mosquitoes. Culex pipiens molestus is one biotype which shows no restriction in host preference and may play an important role in transmitting USUV from birds to humans.

methodsA laboratory colony of Cx. pipiens molestus mosquitoes were orally infected with the London strain of USUV and incubated at 22 ℃, 20 ℃ and 18 ℃ for up to 28 days. Body samples and mosquito saliva samples were collected and analysed using a quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR to determine infection and transmission potential, respectively.

resultsUSUV RNA was detected in all sample times at all temperatures assessed, with the 22 ℃ showing the greatest proportion of saliva and body positive samples. At this temperature, there was also an eight-fold increase in the relative viral copy number in the mosquito bodies, which was unobserved at other experimental temperatures. When a more sensitive PCR assay was used at the lowest experimental temperature used (18 ℃), USUV RNA was present in the mosquito saliva and body samples for longer and showed a greater proportion of positive samples compared to 20 ℃.

conclusionsThis study has demonstrated that Cx. pipiens molestus may be able to transmit USUV at 22 ℃. Active replication of USUV was identified in the mosquito bodies at 22 ℃ but not at lower temperatures, suggesting that 20 ℃ to 22 ℃ may be an important threshold in USUV replication and transmission. Utilisation of a more sensitive assay for the lower experimental temperatures revealed that USUV was detectable at 18 ℃. Therefore, when conducting infection studies on temperate mosquito-borne viruses, it is important to consider assay sensitivity.

Indexed as

CulexFlavivirusFlavivirus InfectionsMosquito VectorsTemperatureAnimalsBirdsFemaleHumansRNA, ViralSalivaRNA, ViralCulex pipiens molestusUsutu virusVector competency

Identifiers

PMID40731290
PMCPMC12309054

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.