Detection of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Mosquitoes (Diptera: <i>Culicidae</i>) in Northeastern Regions of South Africa
Mosquitoes in the <i>Aedes</i> and <i>Culex</i> genera are considered the main vectors of pathogenic flaviviruses worldwide. Entomological surveillance using universal flavivirus sets of primers in mosquitoes can detect not only pathogenic viruses but also insect-specific one...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/11/2148 |
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| author | Milehna M. Guarido Kamini Govender Megan A. Riddin Maarten Schrama Erin E. Gorsich Basil D. Brooke Antonio Paulo Gouveia Almeida Marietjie Venter |
| author_facet | Milehna M. Guarido Kamini Govender Megan A. Riddin Maarten Schrama Erin E. Gorsich Basil D. Brooke Antonio Paulo Gouveia Almeida Marietjie Venter |
| author_sort | Milehna M. Guarido |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mosquitoes in the <i>Aedes</i> and <i>Culex</i> genera are considered the main vectors of pathogenic flaviviruses worldwide. Entomological surveillance using universal flavivirus sets of primers in mosquitoes can detect not only pathogenic viruses but also insect-specific ones. It is hypothesized that insect-specific flaviviruses, which naturally infect these mosquitoes, may influence their vector competence for zoonotic arboviruses. Here, entomological surveillance was performed between January 2014 and May 2018 in five different provinces in the northeastern parts of South Africa, with the aim of identifying circulating flaviviruses. Mosquitoes were sampled using different carbon dioxide trap types. Overall, 64,603 adult mosquitoes were collected, which were screened by RT-PCR and sequencing. In total, 17 pools were found positive for insect-specific <i>Flaviviruses</i> in the mosquito genera <i>Aedes</i> (12/17, 70.59%) and <i>Anopheles</i> (5/17, 29.41%). No insect-specific viruses were detected in <i>Culex</i> species. Cell-fusing agent viruses were detected in <i>Aedes aegypti</i> and <i>Aedes caballus</i>. A range of anopheline mosquitoes, including <i>Anopheles coustani</i>, <i>An. squamosus</i> and <i>An. maculipalpis</i>, were positive for <i>Culex</i> flavivirus-like and <i>Anopheles</i> flaviviruses. These results confirm the presence of insect-specific flaviviruses in mosquito populations in South Africa, expands their geographical range and indicates potential mosquito species as vector species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:59:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-45804d27c83c47f98e699e8f95842e08 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:59:01Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-45804d27c83c47f98e699e8f95842e082023-11-23T01:55:38ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152021-10-011311214810.3390/v13112148Detection of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Mosquitoes (Diptera: <i>Culicidae</i>) in Northeastern Regions of South AfricaMilehna M. Guarido0Kamini Govender1Megan A. Riddin2Maarten Schrama3Erin E. Gorsich4Basil D. Brooke5Antonio Paulo Gouveia Almeida6Marietjie Venter7Zoonotic Arbo- and Respiratory Virus Program, Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0031, South AfricaZoonotic Arbo- and Respiratory Virus Program, Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0031, South AfricaUP Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control (UP ISMC), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0007, South AfricaInstitute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, 2333 CC Leiden, The NetherlandsSchool of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UKCentre for Emerging Zoonotic & Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases/NHLS, Johannesburg 2192, South AfricaZoonotic Arbo- and Respiratory Virus Program, Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0031, South AfricaZoonotic Arbo- and Respiratory Virus Program, Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0031, South AfricaMosquitoes in the <i>Aedes</i> and <i>Culex</i> genera are considered the main vectors of pathogenic flaviviruses worldwide. Entomological surveillance using universal flavivirus sets of primers in mosquitoes can detect not only pathogenic viruses but also insect-specific ones. It is hypothesized that insect-specific flaviviruses, which naturally infect these mosquitoes, may influence their vector competence for zoonotic arboviruses. Here, entomological surveillance was performed between January 2014 and May 2018 in five different provinces in the northeastern parts of South Africa, with the aim of identifying circulating flaviviruses. Mosquitoes were sampled using different carbon dioxide trap types. Overall, 64,603 adult mosquitoes were collected, which were screened by RT-PCR and sequencing. In total, 17 pools were found positive for insect-specific <i>Flaviviruses</i> in the mosquito genera <i>Aedes</i> (12/17, 70.59%) and <i>Anopheles</i> (5/17, 29.41%). No insect-specific viruses were detected in <i>Culex</i> species. Cell-fusing agent viruses were detected in <i>Aedes aegypti</i> and <i>Aedes caballus</i>. A range of anopheline mosquitoes, including <i>Anopheles coustani</i>, <i>An. squamosus</i> and <i>An. maculipalpis</i>, were positive for <i>Culex</i> flavivirus-like and <i>Anopheles</i> flaviviruses. These results confirm the presence of insect-specific flaviviruses in mosquito populations in South Africa, expands their geographical range and indicates potential mosquito species as vector species.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/11/2148flavivirusinsect-specificcell-fusing agent virusmosquitoes<i>Aedes</i><i>Anopheles</i> |
| spellingShingle | Milehna M. Guarido Kamini Govender Megan A. Riddin Maarten Schrama Erin E. Gorsich Basil D. Brooke Antonio Paulo Gouveia Almeida Marietjie Venter Detection of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Mosquitoes (Diptera: <i>Culicidae</i>) in Northeastern Regions of South Africa Viruses flavivirus insect-specific cell-fusing agent virus mosquitoes <i>Aedes</i> <i>Anopheles</i> |
| title | Detection of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Mosquitoes (Diptera: <i>Culicidae</i>) in Northeastern Regions of South Africa |
| title_full | Detection of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Mosquitoes (Diptera: <i>Culicidae</i>) in Northeastern Regions of South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Detection of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Mosquitoes (Diptera: <i>Culicidae</i>) in Northeastern Regions of South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Detection of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Mosquitoes (Diptera: <i>Culicidae</i>) in Northeastern Regions of South Africa |
| title_short | Detection of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Mosquitoes (Diptera: <i>Culicidae</i>) in Northeastern Regions of South Africa |
| title_sort | detection of insect specific flaviviruses in mosquitoes diptera i culicidae i in northeastern regions of south africa |
| topic | flavivirus insect-specific cell-fusing agent virus mosquitoes <i>Aedes</i> <i>Anopheles</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/11/2148 |
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