Culex flavivirus isolates from mosquitoes in Guatemala

Area of Science:

• * Arthropod-borne viruses
• * Molecular biology
• * Medical entomology

Background:

• * Culex flavivirus (CxFV) is an insect-specific flavivirus previously identified in Japan.
• * Flaviviruses are a significant group of viruses transmitted by arthropods, some of which cause disease in humans.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To report the first isolation and characterization of a Culex flavivirus (CxFV) strain from Central America.
• * To identify the presence of insect flaviviruses in mosquito populations in Guatemala.

Main Methods:

• * Mosquitoes (Culex quinquefasciatus) collected in Guatemala were screened for flavivirus RNA using group-specific primers and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
• * Positive samples were used to isolate the virus in C6/36 Aedes albopictus cells.
• * Phylogenetic analysis of the NS5 and envelope gene regions was performed for sequence comparison.

Main Results:

• * Eight out of 210 mosquito pools tested positive for flavivirus RNA.
• * Six pools yielded viable virus isolates.
• * Sequence and phylogenetic analyses confirmed the isolates as a new strain of Culex flavivirus (CxFV), 100% identical to each other and closely related to the Japanese strain.

Conclusions:

• * This study reports the first isolation of an insect flavivirus, Culex flavivirus (CxFV), from Central America.
• * The findings indicate the presence of CxFV in Guatemala, expanding its known geographical distribution.
• * This discovery highlights the importance of continued surveillance of insect-borne viruses in new regions.