Disease Dynamics and Persistence of Musca domestica Salivary Gland Hypertrophy Virus Infections in Laboratory House Fly (Musca domestica) Populations

作者：Lietze Verena Ulrike^*; Geden Christopher J; Doyle Melissa A; Boucias Drion G

来源：Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2012, 78(2): 311-317.

DOI：10.1128/AEM.06500-11

Past surveys of feral house fly populations have shown that Musca domestica salivary gland hypertrophy virus (MdSGHV) has a worldwide distribution, with an average prevalence varying between 0.5% and 10%. How this adult-specific virus persists in nature is unknown. In the present study, experiments were conducted to examine short-term transmission efficiency and long-term persistence of symptomatic MdSGHV infections in confined house fly populations. Average rates of disease transmission from virus-infected to healthy flies in small populations of 50 or 100 flies ranged from 3% to 24% and did not vary between three tested geographical strains that originated from different continents. Introduction of an initial proportion of 40% infected flies into fly populations did not result in epizootics. Instead, long-term observations demonstrated that MdSGHV infection levels declined over time, resulting in a 10% infection rate after passing through 10 filial generations. In all experiments, induced disease rates were significantly higher in male flies than in female flies and might be explained by male-specific behaviors that increased contact with viremic flies and/or virus-contaminated surfaces.

• 出版日期2012-1