Yun Bo-Ram, Kwon Ji-Young, Noh Byung-Eon, Cho Sehoon, Kwak Dongmi, Lee Hee Il
Division of Vectors and Parasitic Diseases, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Republic of Korea.
Kyungpook National University College of Veterinary Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2025 Jul 17;19(7):e0013258. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0013258. eCollection 2025 Jul.
The Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is transmitted by mosquitoes and circulates in Asia, the western Pacific, and other parts of the world. It is classified into five genotypes (GI-GV) based on the nucleotide sequence of the envelope (E) gene. Despite extensive surveillance, shifts in genotype distribution and mosquito species remain underreported, particularly in the Republic of Korea.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted a nationwide mosquito collection from 2017 to 2022, capturing 1,102,031 mosquitoes from 32 sites nationwide. The predominant species were Aedes vexans (34.2%), Culex pipiens (17.9%), Cx. tritaeniorhynchus (13.4%), Ae. albopictus (4.0%), and Cx. orientalis (0.6%). JEV was detected in 49 pools, with the majority from Cx. pipiens and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus. Genetic analyses identified genotypes I, III, and V, with genotype V becoming dominant from 2020 onwards.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The emergence of genotype V as the dominant strain of the JEV, along with its detection in mosquito species other than the previously known Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, highlights the need for ongoing surveillance. These findings underscore the importance of developing vaccines effective against all JEV genotypes to mitigate public health risks.
日本脑炎病毒（JEV）通过蚊子传播，在亚洲、西太平洋和世界其他地区传播。根据包膜（E）基因的核苷酸序列，它被分为五个基因型（GI - GV）。尽管进行了广泛监测，但基因型分布和蚊种的变化仍报告不足，尤其是在韩国。
方法/主要发现：我们在2017年至2022年期间进行了全国范围的蚊子采集，从全国32个地点捕获了1,102,031只蚊子。主要蚊种为骚扰伊蚊（34.2%）、致倦库蚊（17.9%）、三带喙库蚊（13.4%）、白纹伊蚊（4.0%）和东方库蚊（0.6%）。在49个样本池中检测到JEV，大多数来自致倦库蚊和三带喙库蚊。基因分析确定了基因型I、III和V，其中基因型V从2020年起成为优势基因型。
结论/意义：基因型V作为JEV的优势毒株出现，以及在先前已知的三带喙库蚊以外的蚊种中检测到该病毒，凸显了持续监测的必要性。这些发现强调了开发针对所有JEV基因型有效的疫苗以降低公共卫生风险的重要性。
