First isolation of Aedes flavivirus in the Western Hemisphere and evidence of vertical transmission in the mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Andrew D. Haddow, Hilda Guzman, Vsevolod L. Popov, Thomas G. Wood, Steven G. Widen, Alastair D. Haddow, Robert B. Tesh, Scott C. Weaver

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

64 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report here the first evidence of vertical transmission of Aedes flavivirus (AEFV) and its first isolation in the Western Hemisphere. AEFV strain SPFLD-MO-2011-MP6 was isolated in C6/36 cells from a pool of male Aedes albopictus mosquitoes that were reared to adults from larvae collected in southwest Missouri, USA, in 2011. Electron micrographs of the virus showed virions of approximately 45. nm in diameter with morphological characteristics associated with flaviviruses. The genomic sequence demonstrated that AEFV-SPFLD-MO-2011-MP6 shares a high degree of nucleotide and amino acid sequence identity with the AEFV Narita-21 strain, isolated in Japan in 2003. Intracerebral inoculation of newborn mice with the virus failed to produce observable illness or death and the virus did not replicate in vertebrate cells, consistent with a lack of vertebrate host range.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)134-139
Number of pages6
JournalVirology
Volume440
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 5 2013

Keywords

  • Arbovirus
  • Electron microscopy
  • Insect-specific flavivirus
  • Newborn suckling mice
  • USA
  • Vertical transmission
  • Virus structure

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Virology

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