CFAV: a modulating factor for dengue virus transmission in humans?
Cell Fusing Agent Virus (CFAV) is an RNA insect virus isolated from A. aegypti mosquitoes and is related closely with member of the genus Flavivirus. Most Flaviviruses that cause severe complications are transmitted by mosquitoes such as dengue virus. The interaction among CFAV with other flaviviruses is unknown. Here, we report new sequences of CFAV detected in natural population of a tropical region from Mexico, and it analyzes the importance of this interaction in the context of a dengue infection in humans.
METHODS:
One hundred thirty pools of various species of natural mosquitoes from Mexico were analyzed. A rapid identification was performed by RT-PCR. Amplicons were cloned and submitted for automated sequencing for both strands. Comparison of the sequences with all of those published in GenBank database was done using BLAST. A phylogenetic analysis of the virus with the other members of the genus Flavivirus was performed. This protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the School of Medicine, University of Colima.
RESULTS:
One hundred and thirty pools of natural populations of mosquitoes, and 5 pools of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were positive to a novel strain of CFAV. The frecuency of CFAV among A. aegypti mosquitoes was 10.8%. 35 nucleotides changes on CFAV NS5 coding sequence were found. It was observed a 96-97% of similarity among CFAV NS5 gene sequences found in this study, and <96% of similarity with all of those reported previously.
CONCLUSIONS:
A new potential strain of CFAV in Mexican A. aegypti mosquitoes was found. The interaction among CFAV and others flaviviruses remains unknown and further research is needed to understand the epidemiological impact during dengue transmission in tropical regions. Additional studies are required to explore the diversity of mosquito-borne viral pathogens and assessing their potential transmission in rural and urban communities