title: Genetic characterization of Arrabida virus, a novel phlebovirus isolated in South Portugal.
abstract: In order to detect phleboviruses' natural infection in sandflies, an entomological survey was carried out, from May to October in 2007 and 2008, in Arrábida region in the south of Portugal. The isolation of a new phlebovirus was achieved after inoculation of a sandfly pool homogenate in Vero E6 cells. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of the complete genome sequences from the Small, Medium and Large, segments obtained with Next Generation sequencing, we can assume that the new phlebovirus, provisionally named Arrabida virus, is closely related to Massilia, Granada and Punique viruses. This is the first isolation of a sandfly-borne phlebovirus from the Sandfly Naples Fever Virus group in Portugal. Further investigation is needed in order to assess the importance of this phlebovirus for Public Health.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health Ricardo Jorge, Avenida da Liberdade 5, 2965-575, Águas de Moura, Portugal. Electronic address: fatima.f.amaro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amaro
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany. Electronic address: dennis.hanke@fli.bund.de.
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hanke
authors.affiliation: Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health Ricardo Jorge, Avenida da Liberdade 5, 2965-575, Águas de Moura, Portugal; Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, University of Lisbon, Faculty of Sciences, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal. Electronic address: libia.zeze@insa.min-saude.pt.
authors.forename: Líbia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zé-Zé
authors.affiliation: Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health Ricardo Jorge, Avenida da Liberdade 5, 2965-575, Águas de Moura, Portugal. Electronic address: m.joao.alves@insa.min-saude.pt.
authors.forename: Maria João
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30599 Hannover, Germany; Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany. Electronic address: stefanie.becker@tiho-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Stefanie C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany. Electronic address: dirk.hoeper@fli.bund.de.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Höper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005843:Geography; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D016856:Phlebovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D011174:Portugal; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins
keywords: Arrabida virus; Phlebovirus; Sandfly Naples Fever Virus group