title: Genetic diversity of bluetongue viruses in south east Asia.
abstract: Bluetongue viruses (BTV) were isolated from sentinel cattle in Malaysia and at two sites in Indonesia. We identified eight serotypes some of which appeared to have a wide distribution throughout this region, while others were only isolated in Malaysia or Australia. Nearly half of the 24 known BTV serotypes have now been identified in Asia. Further, we investigated the genetic diversity of their RNA segments 3 and 10. Using partial nucleotide sequences of the RNA segment 3 (540 bp) which codes for the conserved core protein (VP3), the BTV isolates were found to be unique to the previously defined Australasian topotype and could be further subdivided into four distinct clades or genotypes. Certain of these genotypes appeared to be geographically restricted while others were distributed widely throughout the region. Similarly, the complete nucleotide sequences of the RNA segment 10 (822 bp), coding for the non-structural protein (NS3/3A), were also conserved and grouped into the five genotypes; the BTV isolates could be grouped into three Asian genotypes and two Nth American/Sth African genotypes.
authors.affiliation: Australian Animal Health Laboratory, P.O. Bag 24, Geelong, Vic. 3220, Australia. ian.pritchard@csiro.au
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Pritchard
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sendow
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lunt
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kattenbelt
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Daniels
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Eaton
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D001819:Bluetongue / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D001820:Bluetongue virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D012703:Serotyping; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; C075080:S10 protein, Bluetongue virus; C074954:VP3 protein, Bluetongue virus; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins