title: Wide detection of Aedes flavivirus in north-eastern Italy--a European hotspot of emerging mosquito-borne diseases.
abstract: The pattern of flavivirus infection in mosquitoes belonging to the genera Aedes and Culex collected in two regions of north-eastern Italy (Trentino and Veneto) was assessed. Mosquitoes were collected during 2012 and screened for flaviviruses using a generic reverse transcription-nested-PCR targeted on a region of the non-structural NS5 gene. The phylogenetic analysis was performed on a fragment of ~1000 bp. Virus isolation was attempted in C6/36 insect cell lines and the infected cell cultures were studied by electron microscopy. We detected a wide distribution of Aedes flavivirus (AeFV) in Aedes albopictus, with higher infection prevalence in Trentino than in Veneto. In Culex pipiens collected in Veneto, we detected a new sequence of an insect-specific flavivirus and one of Usutu virus. Interestingly, we detected AeFV in C. pipiens, for the first time to our knowledge, in both regions. Viral isolation in cell culture was successful for AeFV. AeFV sequences found in Veneto showed a high percentage of similarity to those detected in Trentino and to those previously reported in other areas of northern Italy. Co-infections with different flaviviruses were not detected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Torino, Italy.|Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grisenti
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Arboviruses and Viral Imported Diseases, Institute of Health 'Carlos III', Ctra Pozuelo-Majadahonda, Km 2, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Arboviruses and Viral Imported Diseases, Institute of Health 'Carlos III', Ctra Pozuelo-Majadahonda, Km 2, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Herrero
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy Department, National Center of Microbiology, Institute of Health 'Carlos III', Ctra Pozuelo-Majadahonda, Km 2, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Laureano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy Department, National Center of Microbiology, Institute of Health 'Carlos III', Ctra Pozuelo-Majadahonda, Km 2, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Esperanza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perez-Pastrana
authors.affiliation: Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arnoldi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosà
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, viale dell'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Gioia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Capelli
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Arboviruses and Viral Imported Diseases, Institute of Health 'Carlos III', Ctra Pozuelo-Majadahonda, Km 2, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tenorio
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Arboviruses and Viral Imported Diseases, Institute of Health 'Carlos III', Ctra Pozuelo-Majadahonda, Km 2, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Paz
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Seco
authors.affiliation: Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Annapaola
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rizzoli
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003465:Culex / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005416:Flavivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014771:Virion / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014776:Virus Cultivation
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins