Kansas State researchers confirm mosquitos could fuel Usutu virus in North America

Mosquitoes could be responsible for the outbreak of yet another disease in North America, according to five researchers from Kansas State University studying the emerging pathogen known as Usutu virus.

That virus has been responsible for the spread of neurological disorders — such as brain inflammation — in Europe and Africa. It also led to a 15.5 percent decline in the blackbird population of Europe. The connection is not inconsequential: mosquitoes transmit the disease from birds to humans.

“Because Usutu virus poses a growing public health risk in Europe, we needed to know if North American mosquitoes could spread the virus,” Dana Vanlandingham, professor, director of the Biosecurity Research Institute and a co-author of the report, said. “We found that two common species are able to transmit the virus; however, another species that frequently feeds on people in urban environments is unlikely to contribute to transmission here.”

Having such knowledge before an actual outbreak can allow health experts to plan control strategies. It’s for that reason that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate became involved in the research, funding it. The State of Kansas National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility Transition Fund also contributed.

Participating researchers included Vanlandingham; Christian Cook, a doctoral student; Amy Lyons, a master’s student and research assistant; Yan-Jang S. Huang, a research assistant professor; and Stephen Higgs, professor and director of the Biosecurity Research Institute. Their findings were published in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.