title: Zahedan rhabdovirus, a novel virus detected in ticks from Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rhabdoviridae infect a wide range of vertebrates, invertebrates and plants. Their transmission can occur via various arthropod vectors. In recent years, a number of novel rhabdoviruses have been identified from various animal species, but so far only few tick-transmitted rhabdoviruses have been described.
  
  
  METHODS
  We isolated a novel rhabdovirus, provisionally named Zahedan rhabdovirus (ZARV), from Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum ticks collected in Iran. The full-length genome was determined using 454 next-generation sequencing and the phylogenetic relationship to other rhabdoviruses was analyzed. Inoculation experiments in mammalian Vero cells and mice were conducted and a specific PCR assay was developed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The complete genome of ZARV has a size of 11,230 nucleotides (nt) with the typical genomic organization of Rhabdoviridae. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that ZARV is closely related to Moussa virus (MOUV) from West Africa and Long Island tick rhabdovirus (LITRV) from the U.S., all forming a new monophyletic clade, provisionally designated Zamolirhabdovirus, within the Dimarhabdovirus supergroup. The glycoprotein (G) contains 12 conserved cysteins which are specific for animal rhabdoviruses infecting fish and mammals. In addition, ZARV is able to infect mammalian Vero cells and is lethal for mice when inoculated intracerebrally or subcutaneously. The developed PCR assay can be used to specifically detect ZARV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The novel tick-transmitted rhabdovirus ZARV is closely related to MOUV and LITRV. All three viruses seem to form a new monophyletic clade. ZARV might be pathogenic for mammals, since it can infect Vero cells, is lethal for mice and its glycoprotein contains 12 conserved cysteins only found in animal rhabdoviruses. The mammalian host of ZARV remains to be identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Univerity Medical Center Göttingen, Kreuzbergring 57, 37075, Göttingen, Germany. meik.dilcher@medizin.uni-goettingen.de.
authors.forename: Meik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dilcher
authors.affiliation: Institute Pasteur de Dakar, 36 Avenue Pasteur, BP 220, Dakar, Senegal. oumarfaye@pasteur.sn.
authors.forename: Oumar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Faye
authors.affiliation: Institute Pasteur de Dakar, 36 Avenue Pasteur, BP 220, Dakar, Senegal. ousmanefaye@pasteur.sn.
authors.forename: Ousmane
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Faye
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Univerity Medical Center Göttingen, Kreuzbergring 57, 37075, Göttingen, Germany. afranziskaweber@web.de.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Univerity Medical Center Göttingen, Kreuzbergring 57, 37075, Göttingen, Germany. akoch1@gwdg.de.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: Pasteur Institute of Iran, 69 Pasteur Avenue, Tehran, Iran. sadeghchinikar@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Chinikar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sadegh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK. m.w.weidmann@stir.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weidmann
authors.affiliation: Institute Pasteur de Dakar, 36 Avenue Pasteur, BP 220, Dakar, Senegal. asall@pasteur.sn.
authors.forename: Amadou Alpha
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D023061:Gene Order; D016679:Genome, Viral; D007492:Iran; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000821:virology*; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012209:Rhabdoviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D018353:Rhabdoviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral