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Characterization of tick‐borne enchephalitis virus from Latvia
Author(s) -
Mavtchoutko Violeta,
Vene Sirkka,
Haglund Mats,
Forsgren Marianne,
Duks Arnis,
Kalnina Vaira,
Hörling Jan,
Lundkvist Åke
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(200002)60:2<216::aid-jmv18>3.0.co;2-z
Subject(s) - virology , virus , biology , tick , virus classification , genome , genetics , gene
Viruses of the tick‐borne encephalitis (TBE) antigenic complex, within the family Flaviviridae , cause a variety of diseases including uncomplicated febrile illness, encephalitis, meningo‐encephalitis, hemorrhagic fever and chronic disease in humans, domesticated animals or wildlife species. TBE is a serious problem in Latvia with up to a 1,000 patients confirmed serologically annually 1994–1995. No previous data had been reported on the causative agent of TBE in Latvia. In the present study, a virus was isolated from serum of a patient with clinical symptoms of an acute TBE infection. Nucleotide sequence information obtained by direct reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and the serological characteristics of the isolated virus strain, designated TBE‐Latvia‐1‐96, indicated a closer relationship to the Vasilchenko strain, isolated in Novosibirsk (Siberia, Russia), as compared to the western European or far eastern subtypes of TBE viruses. In a mouse neurovirulence assay, a significant difference in survival rates (days) was shown between Latvia‐1‐96 and the western European TBE virus subtype. J. Med. Virol. 60:216–222, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.