title: Distribution and phylogenetic analysis of Culex flavivirus in mosquitoes in China.
abstract: Culex flavivirus (CxFV) is an insect-specific virus of the genus Flavivirus. CxFV strains have been isolated from Cx. pipiens, Cx. quinquefasciatus, and other Cx. species in Asia, Africa, North America, Central America and South America. CxFV was isolated for the first time in China in 2006. As this is a novel flavivirus, we explored the distribution and genetic characteristics of Culex flavivirus in China. A total of 46,649 mosquitoes were collected in seven provinces between 2004 and 2012 and were analysed in 871 pools. 29 CxFV RNAs from Cx. pipiens, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Anopheles Sinensis, and Culex spp. tested positive for CxFV in real-time RT-PCR. 6 CxFV strains were isolated from Cx. species collected in Shandong, Henan, and Shaanxi provinces, while no virus or viral RNA was detected in samples from Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, and Fujian. Phylogenetic analysis of the envelope gene indicated that Chinese strains formed a robust subgroup of genotype 1, together with viruses from the United States and Japan. This study demonstrates that the geographic distribution of CxFV in China is widespread, but geographical boundaries to spread are apparent. Our findings suggest that CxFV can infect various mosquito species in nature.
authors.affiliation: Department to Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510000, People's Republic of China, liangwenkai2014@163.com.
authors.forename: Wenkai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Xiaoxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Guifang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shaobai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shihong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weixin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Hongyue
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xiaojuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Weijun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yuxi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chunxia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: Guodong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Huanyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000821:virology*; D002681:China; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003465:Culex / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005416:Flavivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005838:Genotype; D058974:Phylogeography; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins