Amplification of arbovirus transmission by mosquito intradermal probing and interrupted feeding.

Probing is the crucial phase for the successful intake of the blood by a mosquito female, saliva being ejected during the intradermal probing period. When Tahyna virus (California group, family Bunyaviridae) carrying and transmitting Aedes aegypti mosquito was allowed to feed on 3 suckling white mice for 4 hr, 66.7% of the 162 exposed mice became infected. When one infected mosquito was put in contact with 5 mice, 53.6% of the 250 exposed mice became infected. Multiple transmission of the virus to the available hosts during completion of one blood meal by a single mosquito has been demonstrated.