Beneficial Role of a Nonpathogenic Orbi-like Virus: Studies on the Interfering Effect of M14 Virus in Mice and Mosquitoes Infected with Japanese Encephalitis Virus

M14 virus, isolated from Culex tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes collected in a Beijing suburb, was identified as a noncytopathogenic orbi-like virus. It was found to interfere with the growth of Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus, a mosquito-borne virus which infects humans, pigs, and horses in much of Asia, including China. JE virus is transmitted by C. tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes and causes encephalitis in humans and horses and abortion in pigs. Because it had potential as an interfering agent for the biological control of JE, the M14 virus was characterized and its interfering effect was studied in mice and in C. tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes.