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A total of 54,673 mosquitoes were collected at 11 sites located near the China-Myanmar border in the western part of Yunnan Province during July and August 2007. There were 29 species in 4 genera identified from the collections, including 12 species of Culex, 12 species of Anopheles, 3 species of Aedes, and 2 species of Armigeres. Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles (67.9%, 37,119/54,673) and Anopheles sinensis Wiedemann (25.9%, 14,170/54,673) were the most abundant species in this investigation. Virus was isolated using BHK-21 and C6/36 cells from 22 of 510 mosquito pools. Isolates included Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and Getah virus (GETV), which were identified by serological and molecular methods. Twenty JEV strains were isolated from Cx. tritaeniorhynchus (15 isolates), An. sinensis (3 isolates), and Armigeres subalbatus Coquillett (2 isolates), and 2 GETV strains were isolated from Culex pseudovishnui Colless and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus. This study suggests that Ar. subalbatus is a potentially important local vector because of the high JEV infection ratio found in this species. Enzootic JEV transmission persists in this area and therefore, surveillance for human disease caused by JEV and GETV should be conducted in the region.

Economic development and increased tourism in the southern region of Yunnan Province in China, adjacent to several countries in Southeast Asia, has increased the likelihood of import and export of vectors and vector-borne diseases. We report the results of surveillance of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne arboviruses along the border of China-Myanmar-Laos in 2005 and 2006, and information associating several arboviruses with infections and possibly disease in local human populations. Seventeen mosquito species representing four genera were obtained, and 14 strains of mosquito-borne viruses representing six viruses in five genera were isolated from Culex tritaeniorhynchus. In addition, IgM against Japanese encephalitis virus, Sindbis virus, Yunnan orbivirus and novel Banna virus was detected in acute-phase serum samples obtained from hospitalized patients with fever and encephalitis near the areas where the viruses were isolated. This investigation suggests that Japanese encephalitis virus, Sindbis virus, and lesser-known arboviruses circulate and may be infecting humans in the China-Myanmar-Laos border region.