Abstract
In the present study, gamma radiation effects on the reproductive potential of the mosquito, Culex pipiens and its role in the transmission of the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) were investigated. The susceptibility of female, Culex pipiens mosquitoes to gamma irradiation was carried out by exposed full grown pupae to doses 0, 20, 40, 60 Gy. The lethal doses were calculated, as the doses of gamma radiation increased, a progressive increase in the non- hatched eggs percentage. The viral load at mouth parts, in mid-gut and salivary gland, was detected in the irradiated females with LD75 (60 Gy) and non-irradiated using RT-PCR relatively at time 60 min., 5 and 13 days and tested in the mentioned position. Viral load in irradiated Culex pipiens that fed on an infected blood with a viral load 1.2 x 106IU/ml %was decreased by time from 6.0782 x 104 IU/ML% at zero time into 2.399 x 103 IU/ML% after 60 min. post-infection at the mouth parts. Also, the viral load decreased by time in the mid-gut from 2.63575 x 105 IU/ML% at zero time into 3.969 x 103 IU/ML% after 5 days post-infection, while HCV was not detected in the salivary glands. The current results indicated that the mechanical transmission through mouth parts in irradiated and non-irradiated Culex pipiens mosquitoes is plausible while the biological transmission did not occur.
Highlights
Hepatitis C virus infection is one of the major public health problems in both developed and developing countries since discovering at 1989 (Choo et al., 1989; Alter et al.,1989).It is estimated that Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infects 200 million peoples (3%) of the world’s population and there are at least 21.3 million HCV carriers in the EasternMediterranean countries (Sy and Jamal 2006)
Low HCV RNA titers in patient sera and different species tropisms for HCV RNA replication are probably the reasons why mechanical and biological HCV transmission does not occur in mosquitoes so it seems mosquitoes is not an HCV risk factor. (Chang et al, 2001) Radiation effects on the molecular chemical species of the living organism body will provide information that is essential to the knowledge of the radiation-induced molecular alteration that will initiate the biological chain of damage and its final sequel. (El-Naggar, 2009)
The Susceptibility of Females’ C. pipiens Resulted from Irradiated Pupae to Gamma Radiation: The effects of gamma radiation on fecundity of C. pipiens females resulted from pupae irradiated with 0, 20, 40 and 60 Gy and crossed with non-irradiated males are given in table (1)
Summary
Hepatitis C virus infection is one of the major public health problems in both developed and developing countries since discovering at 1989 (Choo et al., 1989; Alter et al.,1989).It is estimated that HCV infects 200 million peoples (3%) of the world’s population and there are at least 21.3 million HCV carriers in the EasternMediterranean countries (Sy and Jamal 2006). Hepatitis C virus infection is one of the major public health problems in both developed and developing countries since discovering at 1989 (Choo et al., 1989; Alter et al.,1989).It is estimated that HCV infects 200 million peoples (3%) of the world’s population and there are at least 21.3 million HCV carriers in the Eastern. One of the suspected routes of HCV transmission refers to activity by bloodsucking insects, such as female mosquitoes, which take blood meals from human hosts. In this context, several flaviviruses, such as yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and dengue viruses, have been found to be transmitted by mosquitoes (Lundström, 1999; Bakonyi et al, 2005). Any disturbance in this component leads to the disturbance in the biological system and adult performance (Gabarty and Mahmoud, 2015)
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