title: Infection of sand flies collected from different bio-geographical areas of Tunisia with phleboviruses.
abstract: An entomological investigation performed in 2013 covering different bio-geographical areas varying from humid in the north to the arid in the center showed that sand flies of the subgenus Larroussius including Phlebotomus perniciosus, Phlebotomus perfiliewi, and Phlebotomus longicuspis are abundant and widely distributed in Tunisia. A total of 3992 collected and pooled with up to 30 specimens per pool based on sex, trapping location and collection data were tested for the presence of phleboviruses by nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Of a total of 135 pools, 23 were positive, yielding and minimum infection rate of 0.6%. Phylogenetic analysis performed using partial amino acid sequence in the polymerase gene showed that all these phleboviruses were grouped in one cluster clearly distinct from but closely related to Massilia virus and Granada virus. This putative novel virus, tentatively called Saddaguia virus (SADV), is widely distributed in Tunisia. Together with Toscana, Punique, and Utique viruses, SADV is the fourth recognized phlebovirus to be transmitted by sand flies in Tunisia. The medical and public health interest of SADV remains to be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fares
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille University, IRD French Institute of Research for Development, EHESP French School of Public Health, EPV UMR_D 190 "Emergence des Pathologies Virales", 13385 Marseille, France; IHU Méditerranée Infection, APHM Public Hospital of Marseille, 13385 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Charrel
authors.affiliation: Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dachraoui
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille University, IRD French Institute of Research for Development, EHESP French School of Public Health, EPV UMR_D 190 "Emergence des Pathologies Virales", 13385 Marseille, France; IHU Méditerranée Infection, APHM Public Hospital of Marseille, 13385 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bichaud
authors.affiliation: Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Barhoumi
authors.affiliation: Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Derbali
authors.affiliation: Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cherni
authors.affiliation: Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chelbi
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille University, IRD French Institute of Research for Development, EHESP French School of Public Health, EPV UMR_D 190 "Emergence des Pathologies Virales", 13385 Marseille, France; IHU Méditerranée Infection, APHM Public Hospital of Marseille, 13385 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: de Lamballerie
authors.affiliation: Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, Tunis, Tunisia. Electronic address: elyes.zhioua@gmail.com.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zhioua
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D010691:Phlebotomus / Q000821:virology*; D016856:Phlebovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000821:virology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014416:Tunisia
keywords: Emerging; Mediterranean basin; Phlebotomus; Phlebovirus; Saddaguia virus; Sand flies