ISOLATION OF WEST NILE VIRUS STRAINS FROM MOSQUITOES IN ISRAEL1

Abstract

During June 1964 to December 1966, mosquito collections carried out in several parts of Israel yielded 53,718 specimens belonging to more than 17 species. Six isolations of WN virus were obtained from 1,085 pools tested. Five of the positive pools consisted of Culex univittatus and one of Anopheles coustani. No virus was isolated from 27/492 Culex pipiens molestus tested in 454 pools. The relative percentages of C.univittatus, An. coostani and C. P. Molestus were 17, 24, and 51, respectively, of the total mosquito collections. All virus isolations were obtained from mosquitoes collected during the July-October period.