The Diversity and Distribution of Viruses Associated with <i>Culex annulirostris</i> Mosquitoes from the Kimberley Region of Western Australia

Simon H. Williams; Avram Levy; Rachel A. Yates; Nilusha Somaweera; Peter J. Neville; Jay Nicholson; Michael D. A. Lindsay; John S. Mackenzie; Komal Jain; Allison Imrie; David W. Smith; W. Ian Lipkin

doi:10.3390/v12070717

Viruses (Jul 2020)

The Diversity and Distribution of Viruses Associated with <i>Culex annulirostris</i> Mosquitoes from the Kimberley Region of Western Australia

Simon H. Williams,
Avram Levy,
Rachel A. Yates,
Nilusha Somaweera,
Peter J. Neville,
Jay Nicholson,
Michael D. A. Lindsay,
John S. Mackenzie,
Komal Jain,
Allison Imrie,
David W. Smith,
W. Ian Lipkin

Affiliations

Simon H. Williams: Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, New York, NY 10034, USA
Avram Levy: PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
Rachel A. Yates: Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, New York, NY 10034, USA
Nilusha Somaweera: Environmental Health Directorate, Public and Aboriginal Health Division, Department of Health, Western Australia, Perth, WA 6010, Australia
Peter J. Neville: Environmental Health Directorate, Public and Aboriginal Health Division, Department of Health, Western Australia, Perth, WA 6010, Australia
Jay Nicholson: Environmental Health Directorate, Public and Aboriginal Health Division, Department of Health, Western Australia, Perth, WA 6010, Australia
Michael D. A. Lindsay: Environmental Health Directorate, Public and Aboriginal Health Division, Department of Health, Western Australia, Perth, WA 6010, Australia
John S. Mackenzie: PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
Komal Jain: Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, New York, NY 10034, USA
Allison Imrie: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
David W. Smith: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
W. Ian Lipkin: Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, New York, NY 10034, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/v12070717
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 7
p. 717

Abstract

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Metagenomics revealed an impressive breadth of previously unrecognized viruses. Here, we report the virome of the Culex annulirostris Skuse mosquito, an important vector of pathogenic arboviruses in Australia. Mosquitoes were collected from three sites in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Unbiased high-throughput sequencing (HTS) revealed the presence of 16 novel viral sequences that share less than 90% identity with known viruses. None were closely related to pathogenic arboviruses. Viruses were distributed unevenly across sites, indicating a heterogeneous Cx. annulirostris virome. Polymerase chain reaction assays confirmed HTS data and identified marked variation between the virus prevalence identified at each site.

Published in Viruses

ISSN: 1999-4915 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/viruses

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