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- Title
Discovery of T’Ho virus, a novel flavivirus closely related to encephalitic viruses of humans, and the development of tools for its serological diagnosis.
- Authors
Tangudu, Chandra S.; Hargett, Alissa M.; Mitrisin, Brooke C.; Laredo-Tiscareño, S. Viridiana; Garcia-Rejon, Julian E.; Farfan-Ale, Jose A.; Loroño-Pino, Maria A.; Briese, Thomas; Lipkin, W. Ian; Blitvich, Bradley J.
- Abstract
We discovered a novel flavivirus, designated T’Ho virus, in mosquitoes in Merida, Yucatan. The closest known relatives of T’Ho virus are encephalitic flaviviruses of public health importance, suggesting it too could be a human pathogen. The genome of T’Ho virus was fully sequenced, but an isolate was not recovered by cell culture inoculation or suckling mouse brain inoculation. In an attempt to generate recombinant T’Ho virus, the entire viral genome was synthesized as three overlapping DNA fragments, joined by Gibson assembly, and transfected into mosquito cells. Several cell culture passages were performed, but virus was not produced. Subsequent experiments focused on the development of a chimeric flavivirus for use in plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNTs) as a surrogate diagnostic reagent in place of T’Ho virus. The PRNT requires live virus and is the gold-standard serologic technique for the diagnosis of flavivirus infections. We created the chimeric virus by inserting the major structural protein genes of T’Ho virus into the genetic background of Zika virus. The chimeric virus replicated in mosquito (C6/36) and vertebrate (Vero) cells and produced plaques in the latter. We propose that the chimeric virus could be a useful diagnostic reagent for researchers performing flavivirus serosurveillance in Mexico.
- Publication
Veterinaria México OA, 2024, Vol 11, p3
- ISSN
2448-6760
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.22201/fmvz.24486760e.2024.1304