West Nile virus in Southern Portugal, 2004.
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.
Esteves
Aida
A
Unidade de Virologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. aidaesteves@ihmt.unl.pt
Almeida
A Paulo G
AP
Galão
Rui Pedro
RP
Parreira
Ricardo
R
Piedade
João
J
Rodrigues
João C
JC
Sousa
Carla A
CA
Novo
M Teresa
MT
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*
D017931:DNA Primers; C096041:NS5 protein, flavivirus; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins