Viral titer and RNA copy numbers from Culex tarsalis blood meals and relative input ratios between groups.

a Mean value and standard deviation of five fully engorged females frozen immediately after blood meal uptake.b Relative input RNA ratio between competing wildtype virus and COAV997-5nt calculated from mixed infection groups.c Relative input RNA ratio between wildtype virus and COAV997-5nt calculated from singly infected groups. Each ratio accounts for differences between the inoculum of either COAV997-IC NY99-IC or CA-04 groups compared to the COAV997-5nt group.Experimental groups and the total number (n) of living females collected on day 14 are presented on the left. Viral titers of the infectious blood meal and of five fully engorged females collected right after blood meal exposure of each group were analyzed by plaque assay titration and are shown as log10 PFU/mL with standard deviation. The relative input (inoculum) ratio between the mean RNA copies from wildtype viruses and COAV997-5nt in the five mosquitoes was calculated for each mixed competition group by dividing the wildtype RNA copies by COAV997-5nt RNA copies followed by standard deviation. The same ratio was calculated for wildtype singly infected mosquitoes in reference to the COAV997-5nt singly inoculated mosquitoes.Viral titer and RNA copy numbers from Culex tarsalis blood meals and relative input ratios between groups.