Detection of a Novel Phlebovirus (Drin Virus) from Sand Flies in Albania.

Silvia Bino,Nazli Ayhan,Remi N Charrel,Majlinda Kota,Gregory Moureau,Xavier De Lamballerie,Ani Bagramian,Përparim Kadriaj,Enkelejda Velo

doi:10.3390/v11050469

Abstract

Phlebotomine sand flies are generalist vectors with significant implications for public health. They are able to transmit phleboviruses that cause sand fly fever, headaches, or meningitis in humans. Albania is a country in Southeast Europe with a typical Mediterranean climate which provides convenient conditions for the presence of sand flies. Hence, the circulation of phleboviruses, such as the Toscana and Balkan viruses, has been recently described in the country. We followed a virus discovery approach on sand fly samples collected in 2015 and 2016 in seven regions of Albania, with the aim to investigate and characterize potentially circulating phleboviruses in phlebotomine sand flies. A presumed novel phlebovirus was detected in a pool consisting of 24 Phlebotomus neglectus males. The virus was provisionally named the Drin virus after a river near the locality of Kukës, where the infected sand flies were trapped. Genetic and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Drin virus is closely related to the Corfou (CFUV) virus, isolated in the 1980s from Phlebotomus major sand flies on the eponymous island of Greece, and may also be involved in human infections because of its similarity to the sand fly fever Sicilian virus. The latter justifies further studies to specifically address this concern. Together with recent findings, this study confirms that Albania and the Balkan peninsula are hot spots for phleboviruses.

Highlights

IntroductionAccording to their antigenic relationships, old world sand fly-borne phleboviruses (genus Phlebovirus, family Phenuiviridae, order Bunyavirales) can be classified into three serological complexes, which are regarded as taxonomic species or tentative species—the Sandfly fever Naples phlebovirus species (SFNV), the Salehabad phlebovirus species, and the Sandfly fever Sicilian phlebovirus tentative species (SFSV)
According to their antigenic relationships, old world sand fly-borne phleboviruses can be classified into three serological complexes, which are regarded as taxonomic species or tentative species—the Sandfly fever Naples phlebovirus species (SFNV), the Salehabad phlebovirus species, and the Sandfly fever Sicilian phlebovirus tentative species (SFSV)
The viruses belonging to the SFSV and CFUV tentative phlebovirus species have previously been

Summary

Introduction

According to their antigenic relationships, old world sand fly-borne phleboviruses (genus Phlebovirus, family Phenuiviridae, order Bunyavirales) can be classified into three serological complexes, which are regarded as taxonomic species or tentative species—the Sandfly fever Naples phlebovirus species (SFNV), the Salehabad phlebovirus species, and the Sandfly fever Sicilian phlebovirus tentative species (SFSV). The Salehabad phlebovirus species includes Adana (ADAV), Adria (ADRV), Alcube (ALCV), Arbia (ARBV), Arumowot (AMTV), Medjerda Valley (MVV), Odrenisrou (ODRV), Olbia (OLBV), Salehabad (SALV), Bregalaka (BREV), and Zaba (ZABAV) (https://talk.ictvonline.org/taxonomy/). The SFSV and Corfou (CFUV) phlebovirus tentative species are antigenically and genetically close to each other and may be grouped together as a unique species [1,2,3]. Sand flies are broadly distributed in regions bordering the Mediterranean basin. They are abundant in peri-urban and rural environments, which are concentrated near human and domestic animal habitats [5]. The ADRV, detected in phlebotomine sand flies in Albania, is the only virus that is found to be associated with human disease within the Salehabad phlebovirus species [9,10]. A large number of novel phleboviruses have been identified in the Mediterranean area and have been included in existing species or in the tentative ones detailed above

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