Yellow fever virus in Haemagogus leucocelaenus and Aedes serratus mosquitoes, southern Brazil, 2008

Emerg Infect Dis. 2010 Dec;16(12):1918-24. doi: 10.3201/eid1612.100608.

Abstract

Yellow fever virus (YFV) was isolated from Haemagogus leucocelaenus mosquitoes during an epizootic in 2001 in the Rio Grande do Sul State in southern Brazil. In October 2008, a yellow fever outbreak was reported there, with nonhuman primate deaths and human cases. This latter outbreak led to intensification of surveillance measures for early detection of YFV and support for vaccination programs. We report entomologic surveillance in 2 municipalities that recorded nonhuman primate deaths. Mosquitoes were collected at ground level, identified, and processed for virus isolation and molecular analyses. Eight YFV strains were isolated (7 from pools of Hg. leucocelaenus mosquitoes and another from Aedes serratus mosquitoes); 6 were sequenced, and they grouped in the YFV South American genotype I. The results confirmed the role of Hg. leucocelaenus mosquitoes as the main YFV vector in southern Brazil and suggest that Ae. serratus mosquitoes may have a potential role as a secondary vector.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aedes / virology
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Culicidae / classification
  • Culicidae / virology*
  • Environmental Monitoring*
  • Epidemiological Monitoring
  • Genes, Viral / genetics
  • Humans
  • Insect Vectors / classification
  • Insect Vectors / virology*
  • Mice
  • Phylogeny
  • Population Density
  • Rural Population
  • Vero Cells
  • Yellow Fever / epidemiology*
  • Yellow Fever / prevention & control
  • Yellow Fever / transmission
  • Yellow fever virus / classification
  • Yellow fever virus / genetics
  • Yellow fever virus / isolation & purification*