Detection of dengue virus from mosquito cell cultures inoculated with human serum in the presence of actinomycin D.
We report the use of cultures of mosquito cells (TRA-284) to detect dengue virus in serum from cases of dengue fever in the state of Puebla, México. Using the conventional procedure 56 of 171 samples (32.7%) were positive. The negative sera (67.3%) were passaged 'blind' in mosquito cell cultures but no virus was detected. However, when these sera were incubated in the presence of actinomycin D (an inhibitor of deoxyribonucleic acid transcription) 20 of the 115 samples (17.4%) became positive. This procedure increased the virus detection rate from 32.7% to 44.4%. Serotypes 1 and 4 were identified for the first time in the state of Puebla, where the transmission of dengue virus is increasing. The addition of actinomycin D to mosquito cell cultures may improve the detection of dengue virus and could be a useful tool for virological surveillance in endemic countries.
Ramos
C
C
Departamento de Arbovirus, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
Villaseca
J M
JM
García
H
H
Hernández
D G
DG
Ramos-Castañeda
J
J
Imbert
J L
JL
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D009033:Culicidae; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003715:Dengue / Q000097:blood; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods
D003609:Dactinomycin