Development of a Multi-Target TaqMan Assay to Detect Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus Variants in Mosquitoes

Disease outbreaks caused by eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV; Togaviridae, Alphavirus) may be prevented by implementing effective surveillance and intervention strategies directed against the mosquito vector. Methods for EEEV detection in mosquitoes include a real-time reverse transcriptase PCR technique (TaqMan assay), but we report its failure to detect variants isolated in Connecticut in 2011, due to a single base-pair mismatch in the probe-binding site. To improve the molecular detection of EEEV, we developed a multi-target TaqMan assay by adding a second primer/probe set to provide redundant targets for EEEV detection. The multi-target TaqMan assay had similar performance characteristics to the conventional assay, but also detected newly-evolving strains of EEEV. The approach described here increases the reliability of the TaqMan assay by creating back-up targets for virus detection without sacrificing sensitivity or specificity.