title: Molecular surveillance and phylogenetic analysis of Old World arenaviruses in Zambia.
abstract: In order to survey arenaviruses in the Republic of Zambia, we captured 335 rodents from three cities between 2010 and 2011. Eighteen Luna virus (LUNV) and one lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)-related virus RNAs were detected by one-step RT-PCR from Mastomys natalensis and Mus minutoides, respectively. Four LUNV strains and one LCMV-related virus were isolated, and the whole genome nucleotide sequence was determined by pyrosequencing. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the LUNV clade consists of two branches that are distinguished by geographical location and that the LCMV-related virus belongs to the LCMV clade, but diverges from the typical LCMVs. Comparison of nucleoprotein amino acid sequences indicated that the LCMV-related virus could be designated a novel arenavirus, which was tentatively named as the Lunk virus. Amino acid sequences of the GP, NP, Z and L proteins showed poor similarity among the three Zambian arenavirus strains, i.e. Luna, Lunk and Lujo virus.
authors: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Lusaka province, Zambia.|Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Akihiro
authors: A
authors: Ishii
authors: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Lusaka province, Zambia.|Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Yuka
authors: Y
authors: Thomas
authors: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Lusaka province, Zambia.
authors: Ladslav
authors: L
authors: Moonga
authors: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Lusaka province, Zambia.|Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Ichiro
authors: I
authors: Nakamura
authors: Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Aiko
authors: A
authors: Ohnuma
authors: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Lusaka province, Zambia.
authors: Bernard M
authors: BM
authors: Hang'ombe
authors: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Lusaka province, Zambia.|Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Ayato
authors: A
authors: Takada
authors: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Lusaka province, Zambia.
authors: Aaron S
authors: AS
authors: Mweene
authors: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Lusaka province, Zambia.|Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Hirofumi
authors: H
authors: Sawa
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D018049:Arenaviruses, Old World / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D016679:Genome, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012377:Rodentia / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D015024:Zambia
chemical_list: D009698:Nucleoproteins; D012367:RNA, Viral