Discovery of Jogalong virus, a novel hepacivirus identified in a Culex annulirostris (Skuse) mosquito from the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Simon H Williams, Avram Levy, Rachel A Yates, Nilusha Somaweera, Peter J Neville, Jay Nicholson, Michael D A Lindsay, John S Mackenzie, Komal Jain, Allison Imrie, David W Smith, W Ian Lipkin
Author Information
Simon H Williams: Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America. ORCID
Avram Levy: PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
Rachel A Yates: Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America. ORCID
Nilusha Somaweera: Environmental Health Directorate, Public and Aboriginal Health Division, Department of Health, Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Peter J Neville: Environmental Health Directorate, Public and Aboriginal Health Division, Department of Health, Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Jay Nicholson: Environmental Health Directorate, Public and Aboriginal Health Division, Department of Health, Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Michael D A Lindsay: Environmental Health Directorate, Public and Aboriginal Health Division, Department of Health, Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
John S Mackenzie: PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
Komal Jain: Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America.
Allison Imrie: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
David W Smith: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
W Ian Lipkin: Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America. ORCID
The discovery of hepaciviruses in non-human hosts has accelerated following the advancement of high-throughput sequencing technology. Hepaciviruses have now been described in reptiles, fish, birds, and an extensive array of mammals. Using metagenomic sequencing on pooled samples of field-collected Culex annulirostris mosquitoes, we discovered a divergent hepacivirus-like sequence, named Jogalong virus, from the Kimberley region in northern Western Australia. Using PCR, we screened the same 300 individual mosquitoes and found just a single positive sample (1/300, 0.33%). Phylogenetic analysis of the hepacivirus NS5B protein places Jogalong virus within the genus Hepacivirus but on a distinct and deeply rooted monophyletic branch shared with duck hepacivirus, suggesting a notably different evolutionary history. Vertebrate barcoding PCR targeting two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and cytochrome b, indicated that the Jogalong virus-positive mosquito had recently fed on the tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides), although it is currently unknown whether this bird species contributes to the natural ecology of this virus.
