SHORT REPORT - LACK OF VIRUS-REPLICATION IN ARTHROPODS AFTER INTRATHORACIC INOCULATION OF EBOLA RESTON VIRUS

To evaluate the potential for arthropods to serve as reservoir hosts o f Ebola virus, three mosquito species, Aedes albopictus, Aedes taenior hynchus, and Culex pipiens, and a soft tick, Ornithodoros sonrai, were inoculated with 10(2.5) plaque-forming units of Ebola Reston virus. A fter incubation at 22 degrees C for 11 days, at least six specimens of each species were triturated and examined for evidence of viral repli cation by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and plaque assay. There wa s no evidence of viral replication in any of the arthropods tested, Be cause intrathoracic inoculation bypasses various barriers to viral inf ection, the lack of replication of Ebola Reston virus in these inocula ted arthropods indicates that these mosquito species and soft ticks pr obably are not involved as natural reservoirs of Ebola virus.