title: Isolation and characterization of tick-borne encephalitis virus from Ixodes persulcatus in Mongolia in 2012.
abstract: Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a zoonotic virus belonging to the genus Flavivirus, in the family Flaviviridae. The virus, which is endemic in Europe and northern parts of Asia, causes severe encephalitis. Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) has been reported in Mongolia since the 1980s, but details about the biological characteristics of the endemic virus are lacking. In this study, 680 ticks (Ixodes persulcatus) were collected in Selenge aimag, northern Mongolia, in 2012. Nine Mongolian TBEV strains were isolated from tick homogenates. A sequence analysis of the envelope protein gene revealed that all isolates belonged to the Siberian subtype of TBEV. Two strains showed similar growth properties in cultured cells, but their virulence in mice differed. Whole genome sequencing revealed only thirteen amino acid differences between these Mongolian TBEV strains. Our results suggest that these naturally occurring amino acid mutations affected the pathogenicity of Mongolian TBEV. Our results may be an important platform for monitoring TBEV to evaluate the epidemiological risk in TBE endemic areas of Mongolia.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Public Health, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Memi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian State University of Agriculture, Zaisan, Ulaanbaatar 17024, Mongolia.
authors.forename: Boldbaatar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bazartseren
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian State University of Agriculture, Zaisan, Ulaanbaatar 17024, Mongolia.
authors.forename: Bazartseren
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tsevel
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian State University of Agriculture, Zaisan, Ulaanbaatar 17024, Mongolia.
authors.forename: Erdenechimeg
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dashzevge
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Public Health, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan. Electronic address: kyoshii@vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshii
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Public Health, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kariwa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004675:Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D018884:Ixodes / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008986:Mongolia / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D014779:Virus Replication
keywords: Flavivirus; Mongolia; Tick-borne encephalitis