Association of vectors and environmental conditions during the emergence of Peruvian horse sickness orbivirus and Yunnan orbivirus in northern Peru

Abstract

Since 1983, cases of diseased donkeys and horses with symptoms similar to those produced by alphaviruses were identified in two departments in northern Peru; however serological testing ruled out the presence of those viruses and attempts to isolate an agent were also unproductive. In 1997, also in northern Peru, two new orbiviruses were discovered, each recognized as a causative agent of neurological diseases in livestock and domestic animals and, at the same time, mosquitoes were found to be infected with these viruses. Peruvian horse sickness virus (PHSV) was isolated from pools of culicid mosquitoes, Aedes serratus and Psorophora ferox, and Yunnan virus (YUOV) was isolated from Aedes scapularis in the subtropical jungle (upper jungle) located on the slope between the east side of the Andes and the Amazonian basin in the Department of San Martín. Both viruses later were recovered from mosquitoes collected above the slope between the west side of the Andes and the coast (Department of Piura) in humid subtropical areas associated with the Piura River basin. In this region, PHSV was isolated from Anopheles albimanus and YUOV was isolated from Ae. scapularis. We discuss the ecology of vector mosquitoes during the outbreaks in the areas where these mosquitoes were found. Journal of Vector Ecology 40 (2): 355-363.

Genome-scale molecular and phylogenetic characterization of Middle Point orbiviruses from Australia

“…Rioja virus was also isolated from Ae. scapularis [35] mosquitoes, a potential vector for arboviruses in the neotropics [36]. The Ae.…”

“…In contrast to MPOV, there are no reports of YUOV having been successfully isolated from any vertebrate host. However, RIOV, another member of the YUOV complex isolated from San Martin, Peru, has been isolated from a variety of vertebrate hosts, including sick cattle, sheep and a dog [10,35]. Rioja virus was also isolated from Ae.…”

Potential Distribution of <em>Aedes (Ochlerotatus) scapularis</em> (Diptera: Culicidae): A Vector Mosquito New to the Florida Peninsula

“…Aedes scapularis is an important vector mosquito in the American Tropics [26]. A diverse assemblage of arboviruses and parasites have been detected in wild females, including flaviviruses (yellow fever, Rocio, and Ilhéus viruses [27][28][29][30]), an alphavirus (Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus [31][32][33][34]), an orbivirus (Yunnan orbivirus [35]) and filarial nematodes (Dirofilaria immitis [36] and Wuchereria bancrofti [37]). Prior to its recent range expansion into the Florida Peninsula, the known geographic distribution of Ae.…”

Following the Yellow Brick Road

“…So, I sold my car; bought a truck, a trailer, and whatever else I needed; and embarked on what turned out to be a longitudinal (13-year) investigation of the occurrence and prevalence of Sin Nombre and other viruses. With graduate students and others, we published 32 papers regarding Sin Nombre virus (e.g., 1,14,18,19,23,24,37,38), other viruses we detected along the way (20,32,33), bartonellae (3,4), various rodents and their ecologic characteristics, and other related subjects, including the immunologic responses of rodents, rabies virus-related viruses (16), and viral taxonomy (10).…”