title: Molecular detection and characterization of yellow fever virus in blood and liver specimens of a non-vaccinated fatal human case.
abstract: A yellow fever virus of a South American genotype was identified in the liver and blood samples of a non-vaccinated European patient after his return from Brazil. ELISA tests were negative for IgG and positive for IgM against yellow fever. Yellow fever proteins in the formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded liver biopsy were detected by immunohistochemical procedures. Viral RNA extracted from the liver tissue was also detected using an RT-semi-nested PCR procedure and molecular hybridization. Alignment of the sequence obtained from a gene fragment amplified by RT-semi-nested PCR directly from a blood sample with those of African and South American yellow fever virus strains identified a Brazilian topotype as being responsible for the disease. RT-semi-nested PCR may be used advantageously for clinical specimens for rapid and specific diagnosis, and with archival biopsy material for retrospective studies.
authors.affiliation: Unité des Arbovirus et Virus des Fièvres Hémorragiques, Virales Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Deubel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huerre
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cathomas
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Drouet
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wuscher
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Le Guenno
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Widmer
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000166:cytology; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D004279:DNA, Viral; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016707:Tissue Fixation; D014195:Travel; D014611:Vaccination; D015004:Yellow Fever / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D015005:Yellow fever virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral