Batai and Ngari viruses: M segment reassortment and association with severe febrile disease outbreaks in East Africa.
Ngari virus is an orthobunyavirus recently recognized as a reassortant between Bunyamwera virus and an as yet unidentified M segment donor. Analysis of M segment sequences of Batai and Ilesha viruses revealed 95% deduced amino acid identity between Batai virus and Ngari virus. These findings suggest Batai virus as the donor of Ngari virus M segment sequence. Analysis of Batai virus-related African isolates identified UgMP-6830, isolated from mosquitoes in Uganda, as an isolate of Batai virus. KV-141, isolated during a febrile disease outbreak in Sudan, was identified as another isolate of Ngari virus, emphasizing a role of this reassortant virus in severe human illness throughout East Africa.
Briese
Thomas
T
Jerome L. and Dawn Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. thomas.briese@columbia.edu
Bird
Brian
B
Kapoor
Vishal
V
Nichol
Stuart T
ST
Lipkin
W Ian
WI
D000351:Africa, Eastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D002042:Bunyamwera virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002044:Bunyaviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D016851:Orthobunyavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D012367:RNA, Viral