New measles genotype, Uganda.
We report the first genetic characterization of wildtype measles viruses from Uganda. Thirty-six virus isolates from outbreaks in 6 districts were analyzed from 2000 to 2002. Analyses of sequences of the nucleoprotein (N) and hemagglutinin (H) genes showed that the Ugandan isolates were all closely related, and phylogenetic analysis indicated that these viruses were members of a unique group within clade D. Sequences of the Ugandan viruses were not closely related to any of the World Health Organization reference sequences representing the 22 currently recognized genotypes. The minimum nucleotide divergence between the Ugandan viruses and the most closely related reference strain, genotype D2, was 3.1% for the N gene and 2.6% for the H gene. Therefore, Ugandan viruses should be considered a new, proposed genotype (d10). This new sequence information will expand the utility of molecular epidemiologic techniques for describing measles transmission patterns in eastern Africa.
Muwonge
Apollo
A
Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda.
Nanyunja
Miriam
M
Rota
Paul A
PA
Bwogi
Josephine
J
Lowe
Luis
L
Liffick
Stephanie L
SL
Bellini
William J
WJ
Sylvester
Sempala
S
D002460:Cell Line; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005838:Genotype; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008457:Measles / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D008459:Measles virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C058314:nucleoprotein, Measles virus