Molecular epidemiology of Japanese encephalitis virus circulating in South Korea, 1983-2005.
We sequenced the envelope (E) gene of 17 strains of the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) isolated in South Korea in 1983-2005 and compared the sequences with those from previously reported strains. Our results show the remarkable genetic stability of the E gene sequence in Korean JEV strains. Five pairs of E gene sequences from 10 Korean strains were identical, despite geographical differences and a maximum five-year time span. Sequence comparisons with other Asian strains revealed that the Korean strains are closely related to those from China, Japan, and Vietnam. Genotype 3 strains were predominant in Korea before 1993, when genotype 1 strain K93A07 was first isolated. The two genotypes were detected simultaneously in 1994 but since then, only genotype 1 has been isolated in South Korea. Thus, the genotype change occurred according to the year of isolation rather than the geographical origin.
Yun
Seok-Min
SM
WHO Japanese Encephalitis Regional Reference Laboratory for the Western Pacific Region/Division of Arboviruses, National Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Cho
Jung Eun
JE
Ju
Young-Ran
YR
Kim
Su Yeon
SY
Ryou
Jungsang
J
Han
Myung Guk
MG
Choi
Woo-Young
WY
Jeong
Young Eui
YE
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D004664:Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004672:Encephalitis, Japanese / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D016415:Sequence Alignment