Enzootic Activity of Pixuna and Rio Negro Viruses

PISANO MB; RE VE; DIAZ LA; FARIAS A; STEIN M.; SANCHEZ SECO MP; TENORIO A; ALMIRÓN WR; CONTIGIANI M.

VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES

MARY ANN LIEBERT INC

Año: 2010 vol. 10 p. 199 - 201

1530-3667

Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis complex viruses cause epidemics and epizootics periodically in some regions ofthe Americas. In Argentina, only enzootic Rio Negro virus (AG80–663) (RNV) has been isolated. To survey and identify activity of viruses that belong to Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis complex in a template region of the country, a generic Alphavirus RT-Nested PCR was performed in 99 mosquito pools collected in Chaco province. Five pools were positive, and amplicons were sequenced: four of them clustered with RNV(AG80–663) and one with Pixuna virus. This is the first report of the circulation of Pixuna virus in Argentina, and it confirms enzootic and endemic activity of RNV(AG80–663) in neotropical regions of this country.