Isolation of Viruses from Mosquitoes Collected at Lumbo, Mozambique

Abstract

Summary Twelve strains of a hitherto unknown virus have been isolated from Aedes (Skusea) pembaensis collected in 1959 and 1960 at Lumbo in northeastern Mozambique. The name proposed for the agent is Lumbo. Lumbo virus is filterable and withstands lyophilization but is sensitive to sodium desoxycholate. It is pathogenic for adult mice and hamsters by the intracerebral but not the intraperitoneal inoculation route. Vervet monkey, yellow baboon, bushbaby and guinea pig develop an immune response to the virus without showing signs of illness. Viremia was detected on the 3rd and 4th postinoculation days in a vervet monkey. Of 128 human sera collected at Lumbo and Ndumu, northern Natal, in the tropical corridor in southeastern Africa, 16 contained neutralizing antibodies; all of 175 human sera collected in Angola and the Caprivi Strip were negative.