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. 2010 Dec;83(6):1262-5.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2010.10-0280.

Isolation and characterization of sylvatic mosquito-borne viruses in Trinidad: enzootic transmission and a new potential vector of Mucambo virus

Albert J Auguste  1 , A Paige Adams, Nicole C Arrigo, Raymond Martinez, Amelia P A Travassos da Rosa, Abiodun A Adesiyun, Dave D Chadee, Robert B Tesh, Christine V F Carrington, Scott C Weaver
Affiliations

Isolation and characterization of sylvatic mosquito-borne viruses in Trinidad: enzootic transmission and a new potential vector of Mucambo virus

Albert J Auguste et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2010 Dec.

Abstract

Mosquito surveillance was carried out in three forested regions of Trinidad during July 2007-March 2009. A total of 185,397 mosquitoes representing at least 46 species was collected, divided into pools of 1-50 mosquitoes according to species and sex, and screened for arboviruses using cytopathic effect assays on Vero cell monolayers. Eighty-five viruses were isolated, including members of the genera Alphavirus (Mucambo virus; MUCV) and Orthobunyavirus (Caraparu, Oriboca, Bimiti, and Wyeomyia viruses). Species of the Culex subgenus Melanoconion accounted for 56% of the total number of mosquitoes collected and 97% of the viruses isolated; Cx. (Mel.) portesi accounted for 92% of virus isolations. Our results also implicate for the first time Aedes (Ochlerotatus) hortator as a potential vector of MUCV. Phylogenetic analyses of 43 MUCV strains suggest population subdivision within Trinidad, consistent with the hypothesis of enzootic maintenance in localized rodent populations.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Number of mosquitoes (all species) collected per trap night for each month and number of Culex (Melanoconion) portesi mosquitoes collected per trap night for each month of the study during July 2007–March 2009, Trinidad. Dates are indicated as month-year. Viruses isolated for each month at all three sites of the study are also shown. Virus isolations are plotted on the secondary y-axis.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Maximum likelihood tree generated using the general time reversible model and a discrete, gamma-distributed across-site rate variation. The Mucambo virus (MUCV) phylogeny is based on 2,079 nucleotides encompassing the envelope 3 (E3) and E2 gene regions for all available MUCV isolates. The three major clades are indicated in Arabic numerals. Strain Tri5991 (highlighted in gray) is from the Bush Bush Forest site and all of the other 2007 and 2008 isolates were obtained at the Aripo Savannah Scientific Reserve site. Nodes are labeled with bootstrap values ≥ 95%. Tip labels include year of isolation and strain name.
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