title: Towards measles elimination: Phylogenetic analysis of measles viruses in Turkey (2012-2013) and identification of genotype D8.
abstract: Molecular characterization of different measles virus (MV) strains is essential to combat the disease. Sixty measles MV strains were obtained from throat swabs or urine of patients in Turkey between 2012 and 2013 and characterized. MV RNA sequences (n = 60) were analysed for 456 nucleotides representing hypervariable domain of the nucleoprotein (N) gene. Of the 60 strains analysed 53 were the D8 genotype, 6 were B3, 1 was D4, and 1 was A. This report describes MV genotype D8 that was involved in a measles outbreak in Turkey. Sequences of most genotype D8 strains (n = 51) were identical to the sequence of variant D8-Frankfurt-Main, which has been associated with outbreaks throughout Europe. Despite the lack of epidemiologic information, a phylogenetic analysis suggested that the genotype D8 MV may have been brought to Turkey from elsewhere. Phylogenetic and epidemiological findings suggested that strains identified in tourists and associated with importation included one strain of genotype D8, one strain of genotype B3, and one strain of genotype D4. These findings from the 2012 to 2013 outbreak in Turkey confirm that pockets of unimmunised individuals are making the country susceptible to measles outbreaks. To prevent further outbreaks, deliberate and sustained effort must be made to reach, and immunise susceptible age groups. Towards measles elimination process, continued molecular surveillance of measles strains in Turkey will help identify transmission patterns of virus and evaluate vaccination efforts. J. Med. Virol. 88:1867-1873, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Microbiology Research and Application Laboratory, Public Health Agency, Ankara, Turkey.|Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Basic Pharmaceutical, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Atila T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Kalaycioglu
authors.affiliation: Virology Reference Laboratory, Public Health Agency, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sultan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yolbakan
authors.affiliation: Molecular Microbiology Research and Application Laboratory, Public Health Agency, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guldemir
authors.affiliation: Virology Reference Laboratory, Public Health Agency, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gulay
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Korukluoglu
authors.affiliation: Virology Reference Laboratory, Public Health Agency, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aslihan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.affiliation: Virology Reference Laboratory, Public Health Agency, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cosgun
authors.affiliation: Molecular Microbiology Research and Application Laboratory, Public Health Agency, Ankara, Turkey.|Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, Yildirim Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Riza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Durmaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D060740:Disease Eradication; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D008459:Measles virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D010614:Pharynx / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014556:Urine / Q000821:virology; D014611:Vaccination; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D008458:Measles Vaccine; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins; C058314:nucleoprotein, Measles virus
keywords: D8-Frankfurt-main; Turkey; elimination; measles; molecular characterisation; nucleoprotein gene; vaccination