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- Title
Ilheus Virus Isolation in the Pantanal, West-Central Brazil.
- Authors
Pauvolid-Corrêa, Alex; Kenney, Joan L.; Couto-Lima, Dinair; Campos, Zilca M. S.; Schatzmayr, Hermann G.; Nogueira, Rita M. R.; Brault, Aaron C.; Komar, Nicholas
- Abstract
The wetlands of the Brazilian Pantanal host large concentrations of diverse wildlife species and hematophagous arthropods, conditions that favor the circulation of zoonotic arboviruses. A recent study from the Nhecolândia sub-region of Pantanal reported serological evidence of various flaviviruses, including West Nile virus and Ilheus virus (ILHV). According to the age of seropositive horses, at least three flaviviruses, including ILHV, circulated in the Brazilian Pantanal between 2005 and 2009. To extend this study, we collected 3,234 adult mosquitoes of 16 species during 2009 and 2010 in the same sub-region. Mosquito pool homogenates were assayed for infectious virus on C6/36 and Vero cell monolayers and also tested for flaviviral RNA by a group-specific real-time RT-PCR. One pool containing 50 non-engorged female specimens of Aedes scapularis tested positive for ILHV by culture and for ILHV RNA by real-time RT-PCR, indicating a minimum infection rate of 2.5 per 1000. Full-length genomic sequence exhibited 95% identity to the only full genome sequence available for ILHV. The present data confirm the circulation of ILHV in the Brazilian Pantanal. Author Summary: Ilheus virus causes mainly asymptomatic infections in humans with rare reports of encephalitis in northern South America. Ilheus virus is believed to be maintained in zoonotic cycles between birds and mosquitoes in Central and South America. Aiming to detect Ilheus virus and other arboviruses in the Pantanal region of west-central Brazil, host-seeking mosquitoes were collected by aspiration as they landed on horses, research team members, and caimans. Resting mosquitoes were collected from the walls inside a local residence and additional flying mosquitoes were captured in light traps. We isolated a Brazilian strain of Ilheus virus from a pool of 50 Aedes scapularis mosquitoes that were collected while landing on a member of our research team, in April, 2010. Our finding confirms a recent report of Ilheus virus activity in the Pantanal derived from the detection of neutralizing antibodies in horses. The anthropophilic behavior of the infected mosquito(es) suggests a risk of Ilheus virus transmission from mosquitoes to humans in the region. We provide the virus' complete genomic sequence and present its phylogenetic relationship with other isolates.
- Subjects
ARBOVIRUSES; VIRUS isolation; WHOLE genome sequencing; WEST Nile virus; INSECT traps; AEDES
- Publication
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2013, Vol 7, Issue 7, p1
- ISSN
1935-2727
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1371/journal.pntd.0002318