Isolation of Japanese encephalitis virus from Culex annulirostris in Australia.
Mosquitoes were collected using CO2 and octenol-baited light traps during an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis (JE) on Badu Island in the Torres Strait, Australia in April 1995. A total of 13,300 mosquitoes comprising 12 species were processed for virus isolation. Eight isolates of JE virus were obtained from Culex annulirostris, with a carriage rate of 2.97:1,000; this mosquito also yielded one Sindbis virus isolate. A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to sequence the JE viruses, which were compared with published sequences. The eight isolates were 90% homologous with known JE strains but only 68% homologous with other flaviviruses. Among the isolates, 99% homology was obtained, suggesting a common point of origin.
Ritchie
S A
SA
Tropical Public Health Unit, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
Phillips
D
D
Broom
A
A
Mackenzie
J
J
Poidinger
M
M
van den Hurk
A
A
D000330:Aedes / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003465:Culex / Q000821:virology*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004664:Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004672:Encephalitis, Japanese / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral