In order to optimize resources, an assay allowing the detection of several etiological agents would be useful. This paper describes a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay for the parallel detection of different pathogens in mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). The assay combines the analysis of both RNA and DNA, hence allowing the detection of both flaviviruses (Flaviviridae: Flavivirus) and filarial nematodes (Spirurida: Onchocercidae). The sensitivity of diagnostic assay for both flavivirus and nematode infections was tested by means of spiked samples and resulted adequate for the purpose of screening mosquito samples. The assay was implemented to check pathogen infections in 637 mosquitoes field-collected in Romagna, northern Italy. The integrity of RNA extracted from mosquito pools was checked by control amplifications targeting the 18 S rRNA of mosquitoes. Control amplifications were successful in 118 out of 119 pools. Flavivirus RNA was not found in any of these 118 pools, whereas DNA of Dirofilaria immitis (Leidy) was detected in one pool of Aedes albopictus (Skuse).
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Viruses
January 2025
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER), 25124 Brescia, Italy.
The European subtype of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV-Eur; species , family ) was the only tick-borne flavivirus present in central Europe known to cause neurologic disease in humans and several animal species. Here, we report a tick-borne flavivirus isolated from Alpine chamois () with encephalitis and attached ticks, present over a wide area in the Alps. Cases were detected in 2017 in Salzburg, Austria, and 2023 in Lombardy and Piedmont, Italy.
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January 2025
Microbiology Laboratory, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518055, China.
Aims: The screening and diagnosis of dengue virus infection play a crucial role in controlling the epidemic of dengue fever, highlighting the urgent need for a highly sensitive, simple, and rapid laboratory testing method. This study aims to assess the clinical performance of MAGLUMI Denv NS1 in detecting dengue virus NS1 antigen.
Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to assess the sensitivity and specificity of MAGLUMI Denv NS1 using residual samples.
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a zoonotic disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), belonging to the family. Diagnosis of Japanese encephalitis (JE) based on clinical signs alone is challenging due to the high proportion of subclinical cases. The Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT) is considered the gold standard for detecting JE-specific antibodies because of its high specificity.
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January 2025
Department of Virology, Croatian Institute of Public Health, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Neuroinvasive flaviviruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) are widely distributed in continental Croatian regions. We analyzed clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and molecular epidemiology of neuroinvasive flavivirus infections in eastern Croatia. A total of 43 patients with confirmed flavivirus infection hospitalized from 2017 to 2023 were included in the study.
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January 2025
Health and Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
Current arbovirus surveillance strategies in Australia involve mosquito collection, species identification, and virus detection. These processes are labour-intensive, expensive, and time-consuming and can lead to delays in reporting. Mosquito excreta has been proposed as an alternative sample type to whole mosquito collection, with potential to streamline the virus surveillance pipeline.
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