Capai Lisandru, Begliomini Giovanni, Kamgang Basile, Ali Souand Mohamed, Temmam Sarah, Bigot Thomas, Machuetum Gisèle Liliane, Keumeni Christophe R, Sado Francine Yousseu, Nsangou Christian Yogne, Essima Gael Dieudonné, Mounchili Landry, Meke Christian, Kome Vincent, Poueme Rodrigue, Alkaissou Ahmadou, Njouom Richard, Tagnouokam-Ngoupo Paul Alain, Dheilly Nolwenn M
Res Sq. 2025 Sep 9:rs.3.rs-7347858. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7347858/v1.
Background Tick-borne Jingmenviruses are becoming an increasing arbovirus concern due to the rising number of reported infections in humans and animals, as well as their wide geographic distribution. The involvement of other hematophagous arthropods as vectors of Jingmenviruses is still unknown. Methods Mosquitoes were sampled in two different biotopes in Cameroon (Yaoundé and Garoua) during the rainy and the dry seasons in 2022 and 2023. Metatranscriptomics Next Generation Sequencing was conducted using Illumina technology. Viral sequences detection revealed the presence of several contigs with high sequence identity to a human-derived Jingmenvirus (HdJV) previously discovered in plasma from an individual from Yaoundé, Cameroon. A draft viral genome was constituted for each Jingmenvirus-positive samples. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic reconstructions were used to position mosquito-associated viruses within the diversity of Jingmenviruses. Statistical analyses were conducted to estimate the prevalence of infected mosquitoes and the effect of different variables (region, season, year, mosquito species) on Jingmenvirus detection. Results HdJV was identified during the dry and the rainy seasons in 4 species of mosquitoes: , and from Yaoundé, and from Garoua. The overall prevalence of HdJV-infected mosquitoes was estimated to 0.90% [0.41-1.69]; and the unique variable significantly associated with HdJV detection was the sampling area: Yaoundé showed the highest prevalence (2.29% [0.95-4.68]) compared to Garoua (0.18% [0.01-0.79]). Mosquito-associated Jingmenviruses shared a high nucleotide identity (between 98.64-100% according to the segment) and clustered in the same clade in the phylogenetic analysis, that they belong to the same viral species circulating in different mosquito species. The viral genome shared between 96.4% and 98.9% nucleotide identity with a HdJV detected in the plasma of a patient suffering from febrile illness originating from the same area, suggesting the possible involvement of mosquitoes as vectors of arboviral Jingmenviruses in human infections. Conclusions This finding provides new insights into the ecology and transmission dynamics of Jingmenviruses, highlighting mosquitoes as potential vectors, alongside ticks, in the zoonotic transmission of this virus group.
背景 由于人类和动物中报告的感染病例不断增加，以及其广泛的地理分布，蜱传荆门病毒正日益引起人们对虫媒病毒的关注。其他吸血节肢动物作为荆门病毒的传播媒介的情况仍不清楚。方法 于2022年和2023年的雨季和旱季，在喀麦隆的两个不同生物群落（雅温得和加鲁阿）采集蚊子样本。使用Illumina技术进行宏转录组学下一代测序。病毒序列检测发现了几条与先前在喀麦隆雅温得一名个体的血浆中发现的人源荆门病毒（HdJV）具有高度序列同一性的重叠群。为每个荆门病毒阳性样本构建了病毒基因组草图。使用最大似然系统发育重建将与蚊子相关的病毒定位在荆门病毒的多样性范围内。进行统计分析以估计受感染蚊子的患病率以及不同变量（地区、季节、年份、蚊子种类）对荆门病毒检测的影响。结果 在旱季和雨季期间，在4种蚊子中鉴定出了HdJV：来自雅温得的 、 和 ，以及来自加鲁阿的 。估计感染HdJV的蚊子的总体患病率为0.90%[0.41 - 1.69]；与HdJV检测显著相关的唯一变量是采样区域：与加鲁阿（0.18%[0.01 - 0.79]）相比，雅温得的患病率最高（2.29%[0.95 - 4.68]）。与蚊子相关的荆门病毒具有很高的核苷酸同一性（根据片段不同，在98.64% - 100%之间），并且在系统发育分析中聚集在同一进化枝中，表明它们属于在不同蚊子种类中传播的同一病毒物种。该病毒基因组与在同一地区一名发热疾病患者血浆中检测到的HdJV的核苷酸同一性在96.4%至98.9%之间，这表明蚊子可能作为虫媒荆门病毒在人类感染中的传播媒介。结论 这一发现为荆门病毒的生态学和传播动态提供了新的见解，突出了蚊子作为该病毒群人畜共患病传播中潜在传播媒介的作用，与蜱类并列。
