Development of Real Time RT-PCR techniques for arbovirus that cause human disease ...
| Grant number: | 16/18204-0 |
| Support type: | Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation |
| Effective date (Start): | March 01, 2017 |
| Effective date (End): | December 31, 2018 |
| Field of knowledge: | Health Sciences - Collective Health |
| Principal Investigator: | Licia Natal Fernandes |
| Grantee: | Thaís de Moura Coletti |
| Home Institution: | Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo (IMT). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
Abstract The city of São Paulo is in a highly urbanized area with over eleven million inhabitants. The parks in the city are the main green spaces and are used for recreational purposes. Vertebrates such as birds and rodents act as amplifying hosts for arboviruses in these parks, and mosquitoes (Culicidae) that can be vectors of some arboviruses, in particular members of the genera Culex and Aedes, are also found there. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that all the elements required for the Flavivirus transmission cycle can be found in parks in the city of São Paulo. Flavivirus surveillance was recommended in these areas in previous studies carried out in parks in the city of São Paulo. Besides, there is no information on Alphavirus circulation in these localities and there are many parks that were not included in any study yet, such as Burle Marx and Previdência. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify the presence of Flavivirus and Alphavirus in mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) previously collected in two parks: Burle Marx and Previdência. Monthly collections were carried out in each park from August 2012 to July 2013. The following techniques were used to collect mosquitoes: Nasci aspirator, Shannon and CDC-CO2. The mosquitoes were then transported in dry ice to the laboratory and identified in a chilled table. Up to 10 non-engorged females were grouped in pools according to their taxonomic category, place and date of collection. A total of 2,142 mosquitoes (314 pools) were collected. These are stored in a -80°C freezer and will be submitted to nucleic acids extraction and reverse transcription. After that, samples will be screened for Flavivirus and Alphavirus by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Phylogenetic analyses will be performed with the nucleotide sequences obtained from positive samples. Thus, we intend to contribute with information about existence, distribution and frequency of flaviviruses and alphaviruses in mosquitoes in the city of São Paulo and raise epidemiological data in order to help to prevent transmission of arbovirus to man. (AU) | |