Sindbis virus isolations from Saudi Arabian mosquitoes

Abstract

A study in late 1979 to early 1980 was conducted to assess arbovirus activity in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. From 38,245 mosquitoes collected at 3 locations, 16 isolations of Sindbis virus were made: 13 from Culex univittatus and one each from Cx tritaeniorhynchus, Cx pipiens complex, and Culex spp. These isolations represent the first records of a mosquito-borne virus from the Gulf of Arabia and implicate Cx univittatus as the principal vector. A potential risk of human diseases exists due to Sindbis virus in Saudi Arabia.

Mosquito vectors survey reveals new record of Culiseta subochrea in Al-Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia

“…perexiguus and Cs. subochrea were not among mosquito species collected by Wills et al [18]. All the mosquito species that have been collected in the present study never been mentioned in the survey of Büttiker [17].…”

“…pipiens is encountered in the majority of surveys conducted in Saudi Arabia. It has been recorded inthe eastern region [16][17][18][19][20], western region [26,27], southwestern region [24,25,28,29] and the middle region [30] of Saudi Arabia. In agreement with the present findings, it is commonly found in sites with low and/or moderate salinity [19].…”

“…The majority of these 14 surveys were carried out in south western region which could be the results of the Rift Valley fever epidemic that happened in 2000 and the endemic of malaria in such region whilst 5 surveys were conducted in Eastern region, 4 surveys in the western region and 2 surveys in the middle region. The 5 mosquito surveys conducted in the eastern region focused mainly on Al-Ahsa [16][17][18][19][20]. The first three surveys [16][17][18] were quick collections for a very short time whereas the other couple of surveys [19,20] were conducted seasonally.…”

“…The 5 mosquito surveys conducted in the eastern region focused mainly on Al-Ahsa [16][17][18][19][20]. The first three surveys [16][17][18] were quick collections for a very short time whereas the other couple of surveys [19,20] were conducted seasonally. Consequently, more accurate and reliable mosquito surveys are required to clarify the prevalent mosquito species in Al-Ahsa Oasis.…”

The Presence and Seroprevalence of Arthropod-Borne Viruses in Nasiriyah Governorate, Southern Iraq: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The data presented in this study suggest that SINV also circulates in Iraq, and humans are exposed to this virus. Previously, a single case of SINV seroconversion has been detected among U.S. Army troops in Iraq, 22 and the virus has been isolated from mosquitoes in Saudi Arabia, 23 as well as from mosquitoes and a European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) in Israel. 24 The seroprevalence of SINV in Iraq was rather low (1.5%) as compared with those of SINV-endemic regions in northern Europe (Finland: 5.2% of the total population, reaching 25.7% in North Karelia 20 ; Sweden: 3.6% in central Sweden, 2.9% in northern Sweden 25,26 ) and China (seroprevalence: 19% 27 ).…”