First detection of Toscana virus RNA from sand flies in the genus Phlebotomus (Diptera: Phlebotomidae) naturally infected in Morocco

N Es-Sette; J Nourlil; S Hamdi; F Mellouki; M Lemrani

doi:10.1603/me12042

First detection of Toscana virus RNA from sand flies in the genus Phlebotomus (Diptera: Phlebotomidae) naturally infected in Morocco

J Med Entomol. 2012 Nov;49(6):1507-9. doi: 10.1603/me12042.

Authors

N Es-Sette¹, J Nourlil, S Hamdi, F Mellouki, M Lemrani

Affiliation

¹ Laboratoire de Parasitologie et de Maladies Vectorielles, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco.

PMID: 23270183
DOI: 10.1603/me12042

Abstract

In total, 656 sand flies were collected in June 2008 from Louata, a locality of Sefrou province, Morocco. Testing was conducted for the presence of phlebovirus by nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. We detected Toscana virus in four pools of male Phlebotomus perniciosus. This virus belongs to the genotype B previously recognized in France and Spain. This is the first time that Toscana virus has been detected in Morocco.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Female
Male
Morocco
Phlebotomus / virology*
RNA, Viral / isolation & purification*
Sandfly fever Naples virus / isolation & purification*

Substances

RNA, Viral