Morphologic and Genetic Characterization of Ilheus Virus, a Potential Emergent Flavivirus in the Americas

Author(s)

Plante, Jessica A. ; Plante, Kenneth S. ; Popov, Vsevolod L. ; Shinde, Divya P. ; Widen, Steven G. ; Buenemann, Michaela ; Nogueira, Mauricio L. ; Vasilakis, Nikos

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Viruses-Basel; v. 15, n. 1, p. 20-pg., 2023-01-01.

Abstract

Ilheus virus (ILHV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus circulating throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean. It has been detected in several mosquito genera including Aedes and Culex, and birds are thought to be its primary amplifying and reservoir host. Here, we describe the genomic and morphologic characterization of ten ILHV strains. Our analyses revealed a high conservation of both the 5 '- and 3 '-untranslated regions but considerable divergence within the open reading frame. We also showed that ILHV displays a typical flavivirus structural and genomic organization. Our work lays the foundation for subsequent ILHV studies to better understand its transmission cycles, pathogenicity, and emergence potential. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/21719-3 - Epidemiological study of dengue (serotypes1-4) in a cohort of São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, during 2014-2018
• Grantee: Maurício Lacerda Nogueira
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants