Transovarial transmission in field caught mosquitoes identifies a mechanism for the establishment of Usutu virus in a temperate country

Abstract

Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging zoonotic flavivirus in Europe, and the first zoonotic mosquito-borne virus to be confirmed in animal hosts in the United Kingdom (UK). Phylogenetic analysis of USUV in the three years following its initial detection in 2020 indicated that the virus is overwintering in the UK. In 2023, USUV was identified outside Greater London for the first time. Therefore, USUV should now be considered endemic within southeast England. Surveillance of avian hosts and mosquito vectors has been insufficient to elucidate the mechanism by which USUV has persisted through temperate winters. It is likely that mosquitoes play a significant role in facilitating the establishment of USUV in temperate areas, as is the case for related mosquito-borne viruses. Here we undertake enhanced targeted vector surveillance at the index site to investigate the role of mosquitoes in facilitating USUV establishment in the UK. Between 2021 and 2024 inclusive, we detected USUV in host-seeking adult female Culex pipiens s.l. (n = 8/554 pools), a key vector of the virus in Europe. During 2023, enhanced surveillance detected transovarial transmission of USUV in wild Cx. pipiens s.l. (n = 1/202 pools), by screening adults following captive rearing of mosquito larvae collected from the field. This is, to our knowledge, the first description of vertical transmission of USUV in an arthropod vector. Consequently, transovarial transmission should be considered a viable mechanism for the persistence of USUV in temperate areas. Our results highlight the importance of undertaking detailed vector surveillance, across life stages, to inform the epidemiology of vector-borne viruses.