title: Genetic variability of the S segment of Toscana virus.
abstract: Toscana virus (TOSV) was originally isolated in 1971 from a pool of Phlebotomus perniciosus sandflies collected in Grosseto province (Central Italy). Since its first isolation, several studies have been conducted in Italy and other Mediterranean countries in order to identify its possible animal reservoirs, spread of infection and genetic variability. Phylogenetic analysis conducted on TOSV genome demonstrated the co-circulation of two major lineages in the Mediterranean areas, TOSV A and TOSV B. This study reports the results of the genetic analysis of 32 viral strains isolated in Italy in the last 30 years from patients hospitalized with neurological disease, from sandflies and from the brain of a bat. The genetic diversity of TOSV was investigated by determining the sequences of the whole S segment. Phylogenetic analysis showed that TOSV A lineage represents the lineage circulating in Italy. Moreover, the current variability of lineage A is similar to that of lineage B.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: melissa.baggieri@guest.iss.it.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baggieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: antonella.marchi@iss.it.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: paola.bucci@iss.it.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: loredana.nicoletti@iss.it.
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nicoletti
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: fabio.magurano@iss.it.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Magurano
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology; D007558:Italy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010691:Phlebotomus / Q000821:virology; D010217:Phlebotomus Fever / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D029301:Sandfly fever Naples virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017376:Viral Tail Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; D017376:Viral Tail Proteins
keywords: Negative strand; Neurological disease; Phlebovirus; Phylogenetic analysis; Toscana virus