Evaluación de vectores para el virus West Nile en Venezuela, utilizando VecTest^TM para el diagnóstico rápido de mosquitos infectados

Abstract

Between June, 2006 and June, 2007, host-seeking mosquitoes were collected using CO2-baited light traps and tested in pools for the presence of WNV antigen using the Vec-test^TM rapid dipstick antigen capture assay. Mosquitoes were sampled in eastern and western Venezuela, in both urban and rural localities. WNV antigens were not detected among 11,684 mosquitoes. The most predominant species were Culex (Cu.) mollis, (Theobald,1903) (70.4 %) and Aedes taeniorynchus (Wiedemann ,1821) (15.6 %) in the Municipality Páez in Zulia State, whereas in Sucre State, Coquilletidia venezuelensis, (Theobald,1903) (51%) was the most frequently captured mosquito. The vector of WNV in Venezuela remains unidentified. Additional entomologic investigations should be carried out in the vicinity of documented vertebrate infections.