PLOS ONE, 2015, 01, 1─13

Detection of Japanese Encephalitis Virus Genotype V in Culex orientalis and Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) in Korea

Hyunwoo Kim, Go-Woon Cha, Young Eui Jeong, Wook-Gyo Lee, Kyu Sik Chang, Jong Yul Roh, Sung Chan Yang, Mi Yeoun Park, Chan Park, E-Hyun Shin

Abstract

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) causes significant viral encephalitis and is distributed throughout the Asian countries. The virus is known to be transmitted by Culex tritaeniorhynchus, which mainly breeds in rice paddies in Korea. In this study, we investigated the presence of other mosquito species that can transmit JEV as a second or regional vector. We selected five cities where patients have experienced JE in the last 5 years as mosquito-collecting locations and subdivided them into four collection sites according to the mosquito habitats (cowshed, downtown area, forest, and swamp). Mosquitoes were caught using the BG-Sentinel trap, CDC black-light trap, Fay-Prince trap, and Gravid trap. A total of 993 pools from 22,774 mosquitoes were prepared according to their species, collection date, and site. We performed a SYBR Green 1-based real-time RT-PCR assay to detect JEV from the mosquito pools. A total of six JEV-positive pools were detected from Culex orientalis and Culex pipiens caught in the Gangwon-do and Gyeonngi-do provinces. All the detected JEVs were revealed as genotype V by phylogenetic analysis of the envelope gene. Our findings confirm that a new genotype of JEV was introduced in Korea and suggest that two mosquito species may play a role in JEV transmission.

• ISBN or ISSN: 1932-6203

• 본 연구는 질병관리본부 연구개발과제(과제번호 2012-N55001-00) 연구비를 지원받아 수행되었습니다.
• This research was supported by a fund(code 2012-N55001-00) by Research of Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.