title: Molecular analysis of encephalomyocarditis viruses isolated from pigs and rodents in Italy.
abstract: Partial nucleotide sequences of encephalomyocarditis (EMC) viruses isolated from five, apparently independent, outbreaks of fatal myocarditis in pigs in Italy were compared with three EMC viruses isolated from wild rodents from a different geographic region in the same country. These viruses were also compared with EMC viruses isolated from pigs in other European countries and three historical strains. All the Italian EMC viruses were closely related (> 94.6% nucleotide identity), but were distinct from viruses occurring in Belgium in 1991 (< 80.5% nucleotide identity), Greece in 1990 (< 83.3% nucleotide identity) and the three older viruses (< 82.9% nucleotide identity). An EMC virus isolated from pigs in the Netherlands in 1988, was closely related to the Italian viruses (95.3-99.3% nucleotide identity). It is suggested that pigs may play a role in the movement of EMC viruses between different geographic regions.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright Laboratory, Surrey, UK. nick.knowles@bbsrc.ac.uk
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Knowles
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wilsden
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carra
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brocchi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Simone
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002213:Capsid / Q000235:genetics*; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D018188:Cardiovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004686:Encephalomyocarditis virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012377:Rodentia; D012589:Sciuridae; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D004279:DNA, Viral; C096256:VP1 protein, encephalomyocarditis virus