Evidence for current circulation of an ancient West Nile virus strain (NY99) in Brazil

Author(s):Show less -

Márcio Junio Lima Siconelli ; Daniel Macedo de Melo Jorge ; Luiza Antunes de Castro-Jorge ; Antônio Augusto Fonseca-Júnior ; Mateus Laguardia Nascimento ; Vitor Gonçalves Floriano ; Fransérgio Rocha de Souza ; Eudson Maia de Queiroz-Júnior ; Marcelo Fernandes Camargos ; Eliana Dea Lara Costa ; Adolorata Aparecida Bianco Carvalho ; Benedito Antonio Lopes da Fonseca

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical; v. 54, p. -, 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Abstract INTRODUCTION: In Brazil, West Nile virus (WNV) was first detected, in 2018, in horses with neurological disease. AIM: We report the first case of WNV infection in a horse from Ceará state and the complete genome sequence of an isolate from Espírito Santo state. Both infections occurred in 2019. METHODS: WNV was isolated from the tissues of a horse with neurological signs in Espírito Santo and sequenced by MiSeq. RESULTS: Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolate belongs to lineage 1a, clustering with the NY99 strain, a strain that has not circulated in the USA since 2005. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reinforce the hypothesis that WNV has been silently circulating in Brazil for many years. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 20/01632-4 - Evaluation of the circulation of West Nile Virus in the State of São Paulo: birds and equines as a sentinel population
• Grantee: Márcio Junio Lima Siconelli
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate