Characterisation of a chikungunya virus from a German patient returning from Mauritius and development of a serological test.
We have isolated a Chikungunya (Chik) virus from a patient who returned to Germany after a three-month visit to Mauritius in spring 2006. Upon return she developed a transient fever up to 40 degrees C. This was followed by myalgia and joint pain. IgG antibodies in serum to Chik virus were undetectable. Virus (Chik-Wü1) was isolated on Vero cells. We molecularly cloned the whole genome of Chik-Wü1 from viral RNA by RT-PCR. The complete sequence was determined and functional domains of the genome were assigned. Chik-Wü1 clearly belongs to the group of viruses analysed from the recent Indian Ocean outbreak. In order to develop tools useful for further characterization of Chik-Wü1, we bacterially expressed and purified the capsid (C) and envelope (E) proteins and established an immunoblot assay. Twenty-two of 30 serum samples from Chik virus-infected patients that scored positive in indirect immunofluorescence previously were also reactive in immunoblot analysis with recombinant C and E2 antigens.
Kowalzik
Stefan
S
Institut für Virologie und Immunbiologie, Universität Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 7, 97078, Wurzburg, Germany.
Xuan
Nghia Vu
NV
Weissbrich
Benedikt
B
Scheiner
Barbara
B
Schied
Tanja
T
Drosten
Christian
C
Müller
Andreas
A
Stich
August
A
Rethwilm
Axel
A
Bodem
Jochen
J
D000328:Adult; D018354:Alphavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002646:Chikungunya virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000379:methods*; D008436:Mauritius; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D014195:Travel; D014709:Vero Cells; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D036022:Capsid Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins