Virology Journal (Jul 2010)

Mosquitoes infected with dengue viruses in Brazil

  • Durigon Edison L,
  • do SM Castro Jesuína,
  • de Araujo Renato F,
  • de S Orrico Agnaldo,
  • de S Leandro André,
  • Amarilla Alberto A,
  • de C Gomes Almério,
  • de Figueiredo Mario LG,
  • Aquino Victor H,
  • Figueiredo Luiz TM

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-422X-7-152
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
p. 152

Abstract

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Abstract Dengue epidemics have been reported in Brazil since 1985. The scenery has worsened in the last decade because several serotypes are circulating and producing a hyper-endemic situation, with an increase of DHF/DSS cases as well as the number of fatalities. Herein, we report dengue virus surveillance in mosquitoes using a Flavivirus genus-specific RT-Hemi-Nested-PCR assay. The mosquitoes (Culicidae, n = 1700) collected in the Northeast, Southeast and South of Brazil, between 1999 and 2005, were grouped into 154 pools. Putative genomes of DENV-1, -2 and -3 were detected in 6 mosquito pools (3.8%). One amplicon of putative DENV-1 was detected in a pool of Haemagogus leucocelaenus suggesting that this virus could be involved in a sylvatic cycle. DENV-3 was found infecting 3 pools of larvae of Aedes albopictus and the nucleotide sequence of one of these viruses was identified as DENV-3 of genotype III, phylogenetically related to other DENV-3 isolated in Brazil. This is the first report of a nucleotide sequence of DENV-3 from larvae of Aedes albopictus.