High Prevalence of a Newly DiscoveredWutai Mosquito Phasivirus in Mosquitoes from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

RIBEIRO, MARIIO SERGIO; AYLLÓN, TANIA; MALIRAT V; CAMPOS ACEVEDO, RENATA DE MENDONÇA

Insects

MDPI AG

Lugar: Basel; Año: 2019 vol. 10 p. 1 - 10

2075-4450

Abstract:Many RNA viruses have recently emerged, threatening humans and causing harm to animalsand plants. Bunyaviruses represent one of the largest groups of RNA viruses and are able to infect awide range of hosts (invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants). Recently, new insect-specific viruses havebeen isolated from mosquitoes and phlebotomine sandflies worldwide. Little is known regarding theimpact of these viruses on the vector life cycles and the stages of oviposition, breeding, blood feeding,and the mosquito?s lifespan. This study describes, for the first time in South America, the detection andcharacterization of a recently discovered bunyavirus corresponding to theWutai mosquito phasivirus,confirming its high prevalence in the Culex spp. and Aedes spp. mosquitoes collected in the urbanenvironment of Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil. The knowledge of the mosquito?s insect-specific virusinfection can improve virus evolution studies and may contribute to the understanding of intrinsicfactors that influence vector competence to transmit pathogenic viruses.