Geographic distribution of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus subtype IE genotypes in Central America and Mexico.
Abstract: Phylogenetic analysis of 20 strains of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus subtype IE isolated from 1961 to 1996 in Mexico and throughout Central America showed that VEE virus subtype IE was monophyletic with respect to other VEE virus subtypes. Nonetheless, there were at least three distinct geographically separated VEE virus IE genotypes: northwestern Panama, Pacific coast (Mexico/Guatemala), and Gulf/Caribbean coast (Mexico/Belize). Strains from the Caribbean coast of Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua may cluster with the Gulf/Caribbean genotype, but additional isolates from the region between Guatemala and Panama will be required to firmly establish their phylogenetic position. Viruses associated with two separate equine epizootics in Mexico in the 1990s were phylogenetically related to nonepizootic viruses from neighboring Guatemala and may represent the emergence or re-emergence of equine-virulent VEE virus subtype IE in Middle America.
Publication Date: 1999-05-29 PubMed ID: 10348239DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.1999.60.630Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Animal Health
- Animal Science
- Disease Outbreaks
- Disease Prevalence
- Disease Surveillance
- Disease Transmission
- Epidemiology
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Equine Science
- Genetics
- Geographical Differences
- Infectious Disease
- Phylogenetic Analysis
- Public Health
- Vector-borne disease
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
- Virology
- Virus
Summary
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This research paper conducts a deep-dive analysis into the distribution and diversification of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus subtype IE across Central America and Mexico using genetic sequencing data from the 1961 to 1996 period.
Understanding the Research
- The research paper examines 20 strains of VEE virus subtype IE, a disease that primarily affects horses but can also infect humans, and can cause severe neurological disease and even death.
- The samples studied were isolated over almost four decades (1961 to 1996) and collected from several locations in Mexico and throughout Central America.
- The study uses phylogenetic analysis, a method that interprets the evolutionary relationships (relating to the development and diversification of species) among different species.
Phylogenetic Analysis and Findings
- Phylogenetic analysis finds that VEE virus subtype IE is monophyletic with respect to other VEE virus subtypes. Monophyly is a condition describing a group of organisms that includes a single ancestral species and all its descendants. This relationship implies VEE virus subtype IE has a common ancestor with other subtypes of VEE.
- Despite having the same ancestor, researchers found at least three distinct geographically separated genotypes of the VEE virus subtype IE. These are isolated to: northwestern Panama; the Pacific coast – including Mexico and Guatemala; and the Gulf/Caribbean coast – including Mexico and Belize.
Implications and Further Research
- Strains from the Caribbean coast of Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua may cluster with the Gulf/Caribbean genotype, indicating a scope for further in-depth study.
- To definitively place these strains’ phylogenetic position, more samples from the region between Guatemala and Panama will be necessary.
- Two separate incidents of equine disease outbreaks (epizootics) in Mexico in the 1990s were found to be closely related to non-epizootic strains from neighbouring Guatemala. This could point towards the emergence or re-emergence of horse-affecting VEE virus subtype IE in Middle America.
- The precise affiliation and genetic kingdoms of these strains are significant because this knowledge can help detect, track and analyse the spread and emergence of disease outbreaks.
Cite This Article
APA
Oberste MS, Schmura SM, Weaver SC, Smith JF.
(1999).
Geographic distribution of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus subtype IE genotypes in Central America and Mexico.
Am J Trop Med Hyg, 60(4), 630-634.
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.1999.60.630 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland 21702-5011, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Adult
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Central America
- Child
- Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / classification
- Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / genetics
- Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / isolation & purification
- Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine / veterinary
- Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine / virology
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses
- Humans
- Infant, Newborn
- Mexico
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Phylogeny
- Protein Precursors / chemistry
- Protein Precursors / genetics
- Viral Envelope Proteins / chemistry
- Viral Envelope Proteins / genetics
Citations
This article has been cited 19 times.- León B, González G, Nicoli A, Rojas A, Pizio AD, Ramirez-Carvajal L, Jimenez C. Phylogenetic and Mutation Analysis of the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Sequence Isolated in Costa Rica from a Mare with Encephalitis. Vet Sci 2022 May 28;9(6).
- Ortiz DI, Piche-Ovares M, Romero-Vega LM, Wagman J, Troyo A. The Impact of Deforestation, Urbanization, and Changing Land Use Patterns on the Ecology of Mosquito and Tick-Borne Diseases in Central America. Insects 2021 Dec 23;13(1).
- Rossi SL, Russell-Lodrigue KE, Plante KS, Bergren NA, Gorchakov R, Roy CJ, Weaver SC. Rationally Attenuated Vaccines for Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Protect Against Epidemic Strains with a Single Dose. Vaccines (Basel) 2020 Sep 2;8(3).
- León B, Jiménez C, González R, Ramirez-Carvajal L. First Complete Coding Sequence of a Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Strain Isolated from an Equine Encephalitis Case in Costa Rica. Microbiol Resour Announc 2019 Sep 5;8(36).
- Esteve-Gassent MD, Pérez de León AA, Romero-Salas D, Feria-Arroyo TP, Patino R, Castro-Arellano I, Gordillo-Pérez G, Auclair A, Goolsby J, Rodriguez-Vivas RI, Estrada-Franco JG. Pathogenic Landscape of Transboundary Zoonotic Diseases in the Mexico-US Border Along the Rio Grande. Front Public Health 2014;2:177.
- Go YY, Balasuriya UB, Lee CK. Zoonotic encephalitides caused by arboviruses: transmission and epidemiology of alphaviruses and flaviviruses. Clin Exp Vaccine Res 2014 Jan;3(1):58-77.
- Rossi SL, Guerbois M, Gorchakov R, Plante KS, Forrester NL, Weaver SC. IRES-based Venezuelan equine encephalitis vaccine candidate elicits protective immunity in mice. Virology 2013 Mar 15;437(2):81-8.
- Aguilar PV, Estrada-Franco JG, Navarro-Lopez R, Ferro C, Haddow AD, Weaver SC. Endemic Venezuelan equine encephalitis in the Americas: hidden under the dengue umbrella. Future Virol 2011;6(6):721-740.
- Dupuy LC, Richards MJ, Ellefsen B, Chau L, Luxembourg A, Hannaman D, Livingston BD, Schmaljohn CS. A DNA vaccine for venezuelan equine encephalitis virus delivered by intramuscular electroporation elicits high levels of neutralizing antibodies in multiple animal models and provides protective immunity to mice and nonhuman primates. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2011 May;18(5):707-16.
- Quiroz E, Aguilar PV, Cisneros J, Tesh RB, Weaver SC. Venezuelan equine encephalitis in Panama: fatal endemic disease and genetic diversity of etiologic viral strains. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2009 Jun 30;3(6):e472.
- Morrison AC, Forshey BM, Notyce D, Astete H, Lopez V, Rocha C, Carrion R, Carey C, Eza D, Montgomery JM, Kochel TJ. Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus in Iquitos, Peru: urban transmission of a sylvatic strain. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2008;2(12):e349.
- Estrada-Franco JG, Navarro-Lopez R, Freier JE, Cordova D, Clements T, Moncayo A, Kang W, Gomez-Hernandez C, Rodriguez-Dominguez G, Ludwig GV, Weaver SC. Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, southern Mexico. Emerg Infect Dis 2004 Dec;10(12):2113-21.
- Weaver SC, Barrett AD. Transmission cycles, host range, evolution and emergence of arboviral disease. Nat Rev Microbiol 2004 Oct;2(10):789-801.
- Brault AC, Powers AM, Ortiz D, Estrada-Franco JG, Navarro-Lopez R, Weaver SC. Venezuelan equine encephalitis emergence: enhanced vector infection from a single amino acid substitution in the envelope glycoprotein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004 Aug 3;101(31):11344-9.
- Estrada-Franco JG, Navarro-Lopez R, Beasley DW, Coffey L, Carrara AS, Travassos da Rosa A, Clements T, Wang E, Ludwig GV, Cortes AC, Ramírez PP, Tesh RB, Barrett AD, Weaver SC. West Nile virus in Mexico: evidence of widespread circulation since July 2002. Emerg Infect Dis 2003 Dec;9(12):1604-7.
- Gonzalez-Salazar D, Estrada-Franco JG, Carrara AS, Aronson JF, Weaver SC. Equine amplification and virulence of subtype IE Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses isolated during the 1993 and 1996 Mexican epizootics. Emerg Infect Dis 2003 Feb;9(2):161-8.
- Brault AC, Powers AM, Holmes EC, Woelk CH, Weaver SC. Positively charged amino acid substitutions in the e2 envelope glycoprotein are associated with the emergence of venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. J Virol 2002 Feb;76(4):1718-30.
- Powers AM, Brault AC, Shirako Y, Strauss EG, Kang W, Strauss JH, Weaver SC. Evolutionary relationships and systematics of the alphaviruses. J Virol 2001 Nov;75(21):10118-31.
- Powers AM, Brault AC, Kinney RM, Weaver SC. The use of chimeric Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses as an approach for the molecular identification of natural virulence determinants. J Virol 2000 May;74(9):4258-63.
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