Virological and immunological outcomes in rhesus monkeys after exposure to dengue virus-infected aedes aegypti mosquitoes

Abstract

This study describes the natural history of dengue virus (DENV) infection in rhesus monkeys exposed to the bites of DENV-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Dengue virus-infected mosquitoes were generated by either intrathoracic inoculation or by oral feeding on viremic blood meals. Each of the six rhesus monkeys that were fed upon by intrathoracically infected mosquitoes developed non-structural protein 1 (NS1) antigenemia and an IgM response; viremia was detected in 4/6 individuals. No virological or immunological evidence of DENV infection was detected in the three monkeys exposed to mosquitoes that had been orally infected with DENV. These results demonstrate the utility of mosquito-borne challenge of rhesus monkeys with DENV.