title: West Nile virus in Tunisia, 2014: First isolation from mosquitoes.
abstract: Several outbreaks of human West Nile virus (WNV) infections were reported in Tunisia during the last two decades. Serological studies on humans as well as on equine showed intensive circulation of WNV in Tunisia. However, no virus screening of mosquitoes for WNV has been performed in Tunisia. In the present study, we collected mosquito samples from Central Tunisia to be examined for the presence of flaviviruses. A total of 102 Culex pipiens mosquitoes were collected in September 2014 from Central Tunisia. Mosquitoes were pooled according to the collection site, date and sex with a maximum of 5 specimens per pool and tested for the presence of flaviviruses by conventional reverse transcription heminested PCR and by a specific West Nile virus real time reverse transcription PCR. Of a total of 21 pools tested, 7 were positive for WNV and no other flavivirus could be evidenced in mosquito pools. In addition, WNV was isolated on Vero cells. Phylogenetic analysis showed that recent Tunisian WNV strains belong to lineage 1 WNV and are closely related to the Tunisian strain 1997 (PAH 001). This is the first detection and isolation of WNV from mosquitoes in Tunisia. Some areas of Tunisia are at high risk for human WNV infections. WNV is likely to cause future sporadic and foreseeable outbreaks. Therefore, it is of major epidemiological importance to set up an entomological surveillance as an early alert system. Timely detection of WNV should prompt vector control to prevent future outbreaks. In addition, education of people to protect themselves from mosquito bites is of major epidemiological importance as preventive measure against WNV infection.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, 13 Place Pasteur, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wasfi
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, 13 Place Pasteur, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dachraoui
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, 13 Place Pasteur, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cherni
authors.affiliation: Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosworth
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, 13 Place Pasteur, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Barhoumi
authors.affiliation: Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dowall
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, 13 Place Pasteur, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chelbi
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, 13 Place Pasteur, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Derbali
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, 13 Place Pasteur, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zoghlami
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Beier
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratory of Vector Ecology, 13 Place Pasteur, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia. Electronic address: elyes.zhioua@gmail.com.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zhioua
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003465:Culex / Q000821:virology*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014416:Tunisia; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000821:virology*; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Culex mosquitoes; Emerging; Flaviviruses; North Africa; West Nile virus