title: West Nile virus in Southern Portugal, 2004.
abstract: West Nile virus (WNV) genomic RNA was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in six out of 57 mosquito pools collected in Southern Portugal, during the summer of 2004, yielding an infection rate (IR) of 2.8/1,000 mosquitoes. Phylogenetic analysis of a 217-nucleotide fragment of the NS5 coding region, amplified from Culex pipiens s.l. and Culex univittatus unfed females, demonstrated a close relationship with WNV strains circulating in the Mediterranean basin (Italy, 1998; France, 2000; Morocco, 2003). The data in this short report demonstrate the presence of WNV in mosquitoes in Southern Portugal and the need of permanent surveillance for viral activity within the country.
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Virologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. aidaesteves@ihmt.unl.pt
authors.forename: Aida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esteves
authors.forename: A Paulo G
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Rui Pedro
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Galão
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parreira
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piedade
authors.forename: João C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Carla A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: M Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Novo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009033:Culicidae / Q000821:virology*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011174:Portugal; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; C096041:NS5 protein, flavivirus; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins