Dengue in the Caribbean: virus isolation in a mosquito (Aedes pseudoscutellaris) cell line.

During outbreaks of dengue fever in the Caribbean in 1977 and 1978 a continuous cell line derived from Aedes pseudoscutellaris was successfully used for the isolation of dengue virus strains from acute human sera. 238 strains were isolated and culture fluid was successfully used as antigen for the identification of several strains. The isolates all produced a marked syncytial cytopathic effect often visible as early as four days after inoculation. The method was successfully employed in the field where, because of their low optimal incubation temperature, the cells suffered no ill effects under ambient conditions. The isolation method was found to be much more sensitive than conventional mouse inoculation.