Imported lassa fever in Germany: molecular characterization of a new lassa virus strain.
We describe the isolation and characterization of a new Lassa virus strain imported into Germany by a traveler who had visited Ghana, Côte D'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso. This strain, designated "AV," originated from a region in West Africa where Lassa fever has not been reported. Viral S RNA isolated from the patient's serum was amplified and sequenced. A long-range reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction allowed amplification of the full-length (3.4 kb) S RNA. The coding sequences of strain AV differed from those of all known Lassa prototype strains (Josiah, Nigeria, and LP) by approximately 20%, mainly at third codon positions. Phylogenetically, strain AV appears to be most closely related to strain Josiah from Sierra Leone. Lassa viruses comprise a group of genetically highly diverse strains, which has implications for vaccine development. The new method for full-length S RNA amplification may facilitate identification and molecular analysis of new arenaviruses or arenavirus strains.
Günther
S
S
Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin, Hamburg, Germany.
Emmerich
P
P
Laue
T
T
Kühle
O
O
Asper
M
M
Jung
A
A
Grewing
T
T
ter Meulen
J
J
Schmitz
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007835:Lassa Fever / Q000175:diagnosis; D007836:Lassa virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014195:Travel; D014709:Vero Cells
D012367:RNA, Viral