A survey of RNA viruses in mosquitoes from Mozambique reveals novel genetic lineages of flaviviruses and phenuiviruses, as well as frequent flavivirus-like viral DNA forms in Mansonia

• Published in: BMC microbiology 2020-07, Vol.20 (1), p.225-225, Article 225
• Main Authors: Abílio, Ana Paula, Silva, Manuel, Kampango, Ayubo, Narciso, Inácio, Gudo, Eduardo Samo, das Neves, Luís Carlos Bernardo, Sidat, Mohsin, Fafetine, José Manuel, de Almeida, António Paulo Gouveia, Parreira, Ricardo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alphavirus - classification; Alphavirus - genetics; Alphavirus - isolation & purification; Animals; Arboviruses - classification; Arboviruses - genetics; Arboviruses - isolation & purification; Bunyaviridae - classification; Bunyaviridae - genetics; Bunyaviridae - isolation & purification; Bunyaviruses; Cell Line; Culicidae; Culicidae - classification; Culicidae - virology; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA, Viral - genetics; Flaviviridae; Flavivirus - classification; Flavivirus - genetics; Flavivirus - isolation & purification; Flaviviruses; Gene sequencing; Genetic aspects; Genetic diversity; Genetic research; Genomes; Insects; Invertebrates; Mansonia; Mosquito Vectors - classification; Mosquito Vectors - virology; Mosquitoes; Mozambique; Nucleotide sequence; Phylogenetic analysis; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Polls & surveys; Public health; RNA; RNA viruses; RNA Viruses - classification; RNA Viruses - genetics; RNA Viruses - isolation & purification; RNA, Viral - genetics; Species; Surveys; Vector-borne diseases; Vectors; Vectors (Biology); Veterinary public health; Viral DNA forms; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viruses; Zika virus
• ISSN: 1471-2180; 1471-2180
• DOI: 10.1186/s12866-020-01905-5

Mosquito-borne diseases involving arboviruses represent expanding threats to sub-Saharan Africa imposing as considerable burden to human and veterinary public health. In Mozambique over one hundred species of potential arbovirus mosquito vectors have been identified, although their precise role in maintaining such viruses in circulation in the country remains to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to screen for the presence of flaviviruses, alphaviruses and bunyaviruses in mosquitoes from different regions of Mozambique. Our survey analyzed 14,519 mosquitoes, and the results obtained revealed genetically distinct insect-specific flaviviruses, detected in multiple species of mosquitoes from different genera. In addition, smaller flavivirus-like NS5 sequences, frequently detected in Mansonia seemed to correspond to defective viral sequences, present as viral DNA forms. Furthermore, three lineages of putative members of the Phenuiviridae family were also detected, two of which apparently corresponding to novel viral genetic lineages. This study reports for the first-time novel insect-specific flaviviruses and novel phenuiviruses, as well as frequent flavivirus-like viral DNA forms in several widely known vector species. This unique work represents recent investigation of virus screening conducted in mosquitoes from Mozambique and an important contribution to inform the establishment of a vector control program for arbovirus in the country and in the region.