The First Isolation of Insect-Specific Alphavirus (<i>Agua Salud alphavirus</i>) in Culex (Melanoconion) Mosquitoes in the Brazilian Amazon

Bruna Ramos; Valéria Carvalho; Eliana da Silva; Maria Freitas; Landeson Junior Barros; Maissa Santos; Jamilla Augusta Pantoja; Ercília Gonçalves; Joaquim Nunes Neto; José Wilson Junior; Durval Vieira; Daniel Dias; Ana Cecília Cruz; Bruno Nunes; Sandro Silva; Carine Aragão; Alexandre Casseb; Lívia Martins

doi:10.3390/v16091355

Viruses (Aug 2024)

The First Isolation of Insect-Specific Alphavirus (<i>Agua Salud alphavirus</i>) in Culex (Melanoconion) Mosquitoes in the Brazilian Amazon

Bruna Ramos,
Valéria Carvalho,
Eliana da Silva,
Maria Freitas,
Landeson Junior Barros,
Maissa Santos,
Jamilla Augusta Pantoja,
Ercília Gonçalves,
Joaquim Nunes Neto,
José Wilson Junior,
Durval Vieira,
Daniel Dias,
Ana Cecília Cruz,
Bruno Nunes,
Sandro Silva,
Carine Aragão,
Alexandre Casseb,
Lívia Martins

Affiliations

Bruna Ramos: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Valéria Carvalho: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Eliana da Silva: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Maria Freitas: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Landeson Junior Barros: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Maissa Santos: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Jamilla Augusta Pantoja: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Ercília Gonçalves: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Joaquim Nunes Neto: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
José Wilson Junior: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Durval Vieira: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Daniel Dias: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Ana Cecília Cruz: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Bruno Nunes: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Sandro Silva: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Carine Aragão: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
Alexandre Casseb: Institute of Animal Health and Production, Federal Rural University of Amazônia, President Tancredo Neves Boulevard, 2501, Belem 66077-830, PA, Brazil
Lívia Martins: Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, BR 316, Km 07, s/n, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/v16091355
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 16, no. 9
p. 1355

Abstract

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Advances in diagnostic techniques coupled with ongoing environmental changes have resulted in intensified surveillance and monitoring of arbovirus circulation in the Amazon. This increased effort has resulted in increased detection of insect-specific viruses among hematophagous arthropods collected in the field. This study aimed to document the first isolation of Agua Salud alphavirus in mosquitoes collected within the Brazilian Amazon. Arthropods belonging to the family Culicidae were collected within a forest fragment located in the Environmental Protection Area of the metropolitan region of Belem. Subsequently, these specimens were meticulously identified to the species level. Afterward, the collected batches were macerated, and the resulting supernatant was then inoculated into C6/36 and Vero cell cultures to facilitate viral isolation. The presence of arboviruses within the inoculated cell cultures was determined through indirect immunofluorescence analysis. Furthermore, positive supernatant samples underwent nucleotide sequencing to precisely identify the viral strains present. Notably, a batch containing Culex (Melanoconion) mosquitoes was identified to be positive for the genus Alphavirus via indirect immunofluorescence. This study is the first report on insect-specific alphavirus isolation in Brazil and the first-ever description of Agua Salud alphavirus isolation within Amazon Forest remnants.

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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