JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS VECTORS IN INDIA
Back- Japanese encephalitis virus isolation has been made from a variety of mosquito species.
- Culicine mosquitoes mainly Culex vishnui group (Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Culex vishnui and Culex pseudovishnui) are the chief vectors of JE in different parts of India.
| Sl. No. | Species | No. of Isolations | State* |
| 1 | Cx. tritaeniorhynchus | 79 | TN, KA, KL |
| 2 | Cx. vishnui | 30 | TN, KA, WB |
| 3 | Cx. pseudovishnui | 8 | KA, GOA |
| 4 | Cx. bitaeniorhynchus | 3 | KA, WB |
| 5 | Cx. epidesmus | 1 | WB |
| 6 | Cx. fuscocephala | 7 | TN, KA |
| 7 | Cx. gelidus | 8 | TN, KA |
| 8 | Cx. quinquefasciatus | 1 | KA |
| 9 | Cx. whitmorei | 4 | TN, KA, AP, WB |
| 10 | An. barbirostris | 1 | WB |
| 11 | An. paeditaeniatus | 1 | KA |
| 12 | An. subpictus | 9 | TN, KA, KL |
| 13 | Ma. annulifera | 2 | KL, ASSAM |
| 14 | Ma. indiana | 3 | KL |
| 15 | Ma. uniformis | 4 | KA, KL |
| * AP= Andhra Pradesh; TN= Tamil Nadu; KA= Karnataka; KL= Kerala; WB= West Bengal |
- Life cycle consists of egg, four instars of larvae, pupa and adult. The whole cycle takes more than a month, however, duration depends on temperature and other ecological conditions.
- Culex vishnui subgroup is very common, widespread and breed in water with luxuriant vegetation mainly in paddy fields and the abundance is related to rice cultivation, shallow ditches and pools.
- These vectors are primarily outdoor resting in vegetation and other shaded places but in summer may also rest in indoors.
- They are in principally cattle feeders, though human and pig feeding are also recorded in some areas.
