Isolation of a new strain of the flavivirus cell fusing agent virus in a natural mosquito population from Puerto Rico.

The genus Flavivirus contains approximately 70 single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses that are mosquito-borne, tick-borne or have no known vector. Two discoveries support previous suggestions of the existence of a large number of unsampled flaviviruses: (i) a new flavivirus, Kamiti River virus, was recently isolated from Kenyan mosquitoes, and (ii) sequences with high similarity to those of flaviviruses have been found integrated into the genome of Aedes mosquitoes, suggesting a past infection with a virus (or viruses) that has yet to be discovered. These sequences were related most closely to a flavivirus that infects insects alone, cell fusing agent virus (CFAV).

Low diversity of Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus, Saudi Arabia, 1994-1999.

Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus (genus Flavivirus, AHFV) was recently identified as the agent of a viral hemorrhagic fever in Saudi Arabia and characterized serologically and genetically as a variant genotype of Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV). Since viral diagnosis and vaccine development may be hindered by genetic diversity, this study was intended to address AHFV genetic heterogeneity. Eleven strains isolated from hospitalized patients from 1994 to 1999 in Saudi Arabia were sequenced in the envelope, NS3, and NS5 genes.

Sequences of flavivirus-related RNA viruses persist in DNA form integrated in the genome of Aedes spp. mosquitoes.

Flavivirus-related sequences have been discovered in the dsDNA genome of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, demonstrating for the first time an integration into a eukaryotic genome of a multigenic sequence from an RNA virus that replicates without a recognized DNA intermediate. In the Aedes albopictus C6/36 cell line, an open reading frame (ORF) of 1557 aa with protease/helicase and polyprotein processing domains characteristic of flaviviruses was identified. It is closely related to NS1-NS4A genes of the Cell Fusing Agent and Kamiti River virus and the corresponding mRNAs were detected.

Phylogeny of New World arenaviruses based on the complete coding sequences of the small genomic segment identified an evolutionary lineage produced by intrasegmental recombination.

Previous studies suggested that the small genomic segments (S-RNA) of the South American arenaviruses (SA-AVs) represent three phylogenetic lineages (designated A, B, and C) and indicated that the S-RNA of Whitewater Arroyo virus (WWAV) (a North American arenavirus [NA-AV]) is a product of genetic recombination between a lineage A and lineage B virus. The purpose of this study was to extend our knowledge on the phylogenetic relationships between WWAV, the two other NA-AVs (Tamiami and bear canyon), and the 15 SA-AVs. Therefore, we determined the complete sequence of the S-RNA of nine arenaviruses previously uncharacterized or sequenced only partially.