Selection for susceptibility and refractoriness of Aedes aegypti to oral infection with yellow fever virus.

Artificial selection on strains of Aedes aegypti showing susceptibility and refractoriness to oral infection with yellow fever virus (YFV) suggests that there is a significant genetic component to this trait. Using a population with an average susceptibility of 15%, inbreeding of isofemale lines followed by individual selection produced susceptible (29% infected) and refractory (11% infected) lines. The difference between lines was largely apparent before individual selection, which failed to increase/decrease susceptibility significantly. The findings suggest that very few loci with a major bearing on the trait segregated genetic variation in the original population sample, and that non-genetic factors also play a major role in determining whether or not Ae. aegypti females become infected with YFV.