BRIEF REPORT Detection of sequences from a potentially novel strain of cell fusing agent virus in Mexican Stegomyia (Aedes) aegypti mosquitoes Francisco Espinoza-Go ´mez • Alejandro U. Lo ´pez-Lemus • Ira ´m P. Rodriguez-Sanchez • Margarita L. Martinez-Fierro • Oscar A. Newton-Sa ´nchez • Edgar Cha ´vez-Flores • Iva ´n Delgado-Enciso Received: 29 June 2010 / Accepted: 1 March 2011 / Published online: 16 March 2011 Ó Springer-Verlag 2011 Abstract Flaviviruses (FVs) are a very heterogeneous group of viruses that includes viruses capable of infecting insects and/or vertebrates. Different human-disease-caus- ing FVs are disseminated by mosquitoes, and therefore, the search for FV in these insects has recently been proposed in order to evaluate their potential transmission in a given community. An entomological survey was carried out in Colima (the hyperendemic dengue fever transmission zone in Mexico) to collect culicidae in urban and wild areas. No human-pathogenic FVs were found, but sequences related to a potentially novel strain of cell fusing agent virus (CFAV) were detected in Stegomyia (Aedes) aegypti mosquitoes. Flaviviruses (FVs) are emerging arthropod-borne viruses that cause immense global health problems [1]. FVs are a very heterogeneous group of viruses with a great impact on public health, given that they include the following important pathogens: dengue virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, Saint Louis encephalitis virus and yellow fever virus [2]. In areas where at least one of these viruses is endemically transmitted, it is recommended to carry out studies to identify FVs, particularly when they are transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks [3]. This identification usually is done by means of seroimmunological surveys in people, which FV determination in mosquito populations is traditionally carried out by means of RT-PCR, utilizing specific primers for each species and serotype [4]. How- ever, the use of RT-PCR with FV consensus primers fol- lowed by sequencing of the amplified product has recently been recommended for identifying FVs at the species and genotype level [5]. This strategy has enabled the identifi- cation of previously unknown FVs in certain regions at considerable cost savings [6]. The virus group known as cell fusing agent virus (CFAV) stands out among the less-studied FVs. It was originally described in an Aedes albopictus cell culture [7]. This virus was later found in other culicidae from various areas of the world, particularly in members of the genera Aedes and Culex [8, 9]. Currently, CFAV is considered to be a characteristic mosquito virus with no pathogenic role in humans, given that it has not been found to infect cells of any vertebrate. However, some authors stress the possi- bility that this virus group represents a phylogenic prede- cessor of pathogens affecting vertebrates and a potential source of future viruses transmitted by mosquitoes to humans and other animals [10]. During 2007 and 2008, an entomologic survey was carried out in Colima (a hyperendemic zone for dengue fever transmission in Mexico) in order to collect culicidae. A cross-sectional study was conducted at urban and rural sites in the state of Colima, geographically located on the F. Espinoza-Go ´mez Á A. U. Lo ´pez-Lemus Á O. A. Newton-Sa ´nchez Á E. Cha ´vez-Flores Á I. Delgado-Enciso (&) Transmissible Disease Study Group, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Colima, Av. Universidad 333, Colonia las vı ´boras, CP 28040 Colima, Colima, Mexico e-mail: ivan_delgado_enciso@ucol.mx I. P. Rodriguez-Sanchez Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Auto ´noma de Nuevo Leo ´n, Av. Madero y Dr. Aguirre Pequen ˜o, Col. Mitras Centro, CP 64460 Monterrey, Nuevo Leo ´n, Mexico M. L. Martinez-Fierro Molecular Medicine Laboratory. Academic Unit of Human Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad Auto ´noma de Zacatecas, Carretera Zacatecas-Guadalajara Kilo ´metro 6, Ejido la Escondida, CP 98160 Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico 123 Arch Virol (2011) 156:1263–1267 DOI 10.1007/s00705-011-0967-2