The pathogenesis of vesicular stomatitis virus, serotype Indiana, in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. I. Intrathoracic injection.

Analysis of infectious virus particles after intrathoracic injection revealed that Aedes aegypti mosquito tissues are capable of supporting the growth of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), serotype Indiana. Although all tissues assayed (salivary gland, midgut, diverticulum, malphigian tubules, and ovary) were capable of supporting VSV growth, the salivary gland was the only organ capable of maintaining an appreciable amount of virus for periods longer than 9 days postinfection. Electron microscopic studies of infected tissues showed virus particles consistently within the cell cytoplasm of all organs with no evidence of nuclear involvement. Direct evidence of crystalline formation of VSV in the apical cavities of salivary gland tissue was demonstrated.