Virus research has surprising results

A hitherto unknown virus found in a mosquito sample collected thirty years ago could prove to be a uniquely useful tool for studying some of the world's most dangerous mosquito-borne pathogens.

The Eilat virus was collected three decades ago in Israel's Negev Desert and is closely related to some mosquito-borne pathogens, but is incapable of infecting non-insect hosts. Researchers hope that this virus could therefore prove an invaluable tool when studying other alpha viruses, a genus of mosquito-borne pathogens that includes the viruses responsible for Venezualan, western and eastern equine encephalitis, and chikungunya.

It is also hoped the Eilat virus could help the development of new alpha virus vaccines, therapies and diagnostic techniques.

Farooq Nasar, from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, is the lead author of a paper on the virus published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He described the virus as a "gift."

He explained: "The virus is unique - it's related to all of these mosquito-borne viruses that cause disease and cycle between mosquitoes and animals, and yet it is incapable of infecting vertebrate cells. It's a gift, really, because we can compare it to other alpha viruses and figure out the basis of their ability to infect a variety of animals, including humans."