Isolation and preliminary characterization of an orbivirus of the Palyam serogroup from biting midge Culicoides oxystoma in Japan

An orbivirus of the Palyam serogroup was isolated from Culicoides oxystoma collected in a cowshed in Kagoshima, Southern Kyushu Island, Japan. This is the first isolation of an orbivirus of the Palyam serogroup in Japan. The virus was a spherical non-enveloped RNA virus, approximately 60 nm in diameter. The virus was resistant to ethyl ether, sodium deoxycholate and freezing-thawing, but readily inactivated by trypsin. The virus was not stabilized by 1 M MgCl2, was labile at pH 3.0 and was not precipitated by protamine sulfate. Indirect immunofluorescent staining of infected Vero cells indicated the virus to be antigenically related to D'Aguilar and Bunyip Creek viruses of the Palyam serogroup. Neutralization tests showed the virus to have no relationship with D'Aguilar virus, but to have a one-way cross-reaction with Bunyip Creek virus. The virus was tentatively designated as Kagoshima virus. A serological survey indicated dissemination of the virus in cattle populations in Kagoshima Prefecture.     

Isolation of Akabane virus from the biting midge Culicoides oxystoma in Japan

Akabane virus was isolated from the biting midge, Culicoides oxystoma, collected in a cowshed in Kagoshima on Kyushu Island of Japan. This is the first report on the isolation of Akabane virus from biting midges of the genus Culicoides in Japan. Two calves kept as bait in the cowshed seroconverted to Akabane virus. These results strongly suggest that C. oxystoma may be a vector of Akabane virus.     

云南边境地区帕利亚姆血清群中山病病毒的分离与鉴定

【目的】了解西南边境地区牛感染中山病病毒(Chuzan virus, CHUV)的情况。【方法】应用BHK21细胞对云南景洪、江城采集的312份健康黄牛血液样品盲传分离病毒,对出现细胞病变的毒株进行形态学、基因组带型和分子生物学鉴定,对分离到的病毒进行S7、S2基因序列测定和比对分析。【结果】4份血液样品可致BHK21细胞病变,电镜观察病毒颗粒呈球形,直径约50 nm;琼脂糖凝胶电泳发现,4株分离毒株基因组为10节段,带型为“3-3-4”,与2012年云南师宗分离的CHUV SZ187毒株相似;4株病毒S7、S2基因核苷酸序列相似性分别为98.7%～99.7%和97.9%～99.1%;S2基因片段核苷酸和氨基酸序列与中国本土分离的SZ187、GHN-GS-16等毒株相似性最高;S7基因片段核苷酸和氨基酸序列与日本分离的ON-1/E/18、ON-3/E/17及中国本土的SZ187、GHN-GS-16等毒株的相似性最高。S7、S2基因遗传进化分析结果显示,4株新分离毒株亲缘关系最近;4株毒株的S7基因序列与中国本土和日本分离的已知帕利亚姆血清群病毒(Palyam serogroup vir...     

Expression and antigenic characterization of the major core protein VP7 of Chuzan virus, a member of the Palyam serogroup orbiviruses

The Palyam serogroup-specific antigen, VP7, of Chuzan virus strain K-47 was expressed in insect cells by a recombinant baculovirus. The expressed protein appeared as a single band of 38kDa corresponding to the predicted molecular mass of Chuzan virus VP7 by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). In immunoprecipitation analysis, the recombinant VP7 was not only recognized by all polyclonal antibodies against the Palyam serogroup viruses (PALV) tested in this study, but also by antisera to bluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 1, epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) serotypes 1 and 2. However, in Western immunoblot assay, no positive signals were observed between this protein and these antisera, even in the homologous reaction using antiserum to Chuzan virus. These findings demonstrate that the common antigenic determinants on the VP7 proteins of Chuzan virus and the other PALV serotypes are mainly conformational and that the proteins share some epitopes with those of BTV and EHDV beyond the serogroup. No cross-reactivities were detected between Chuzan virus VP7 and antisera to BTV and EHDV in agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) and indirect ELISA tests, indicating that the recombinant VP7 is useful as a diagnostic reagent for serological tests of congenital abnormalities of cattle caused by PALV.     

1株分离自云南省师宗县库蠓的新型西藏环状病毒

西藏环状病毒(Tibet orbivirus,TIBOV)为环状病毒属的新成员,病毒于2009年首次从我国西藏墨脱县采集的圆斑按蚊中分离,目前,对该病毒的认识仍十分有限.本研究对1株分离自我国云南省师宗县库蠓的新型TIBOV毒株YNSZ/V290/2019进行了鉴定,结果表明,病毒可在C6/36与BHK-21细胞上引起...     

Isolation of Fukuoka virus, a member of the Kern Canyon serogroup viruses of the family Rhabdoviridae, from cattle.

Four virus strains with identical antigenic properties were isolated from blood samples of 4 sentinel calves having a fever and leukopenea in cultures of HmLu-1 cells derived from baby hamster lung. The virus was identified as Fukuoka virus, classified as a member of the Kern Canyon serogroup viruses of the family Rhabdoviridae, on the basis of its antigenic properties.     

Isolation of serotype 2 Marek's disease virus from birds belonging to genus Gallus in Japan

Serotype 2 of Marek's disease virus (MDV) was isolated from apparently healthy birds belonging to genus Gallus that had no history of vaccination with MDV or herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT). Buffy-coat cells from these birds were inoculated onto chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cultures for primary isolation. Thirteen isolates from one golden pheasant and three white silky fowls, three black silky fowls, three Japanese long crowers, and three Japanese bantams produced herpes-like cytopathic effects (CPE) in the CEF cultures. Using serotype-specific monoclonal antibodies to MDV and HVT, 11 isolates were identified as serotype 2 MDV by indirect fluorescent antibody tests. The other two isolates were complicated with serotypes 1 and 3 of MDV-related viruses. Of 13 isolates, three cloned by the limiting-dilution method were further characterized as serotype 2 MDV biologically, genetically, and serologically. The results showed that the birds of the genus Gallus were naturally infected with serotype 2 MDV. This is the first report ever published about the distribution of serotype 2 MDV among healthy birds of the genus Gallus.     

Sero-survey on Aino, Akabane, Chuzan, bovine ephemeral fever and Japanese encephalitis virus of cattle and swine in Korea

Vector-borne arboviruses produce mild to severe symptoms in domestic animals. Bovine ephemeral fever (BEF), Akabane, Aino, and Chuzan virus have been primarily attributed to reproductive disorders or febrile diseases in cattle, and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is mainly associated with reproductive failures in swine. We investigated antibody titers from domestic swine against four bovine arboviruses (BEF, Akabane, Aino, and Chuzan virus) and from cattle against JEV in Korea. While the positive rates for Akabane and BEF were 37.4% and 15.7%, the positive incidence of Chuzan and Aino were relatively low, with positive rates of 3.04% and 0.4%, respectively, based on a virus neutralization assay. Antibody titers against more than one virus were also frequently detected in domestic swine. The incidence of JEV was 51.3% among domestic cattle. In addition, one positive case was detected in the thoracic fluids from 35 aborted calves, based on the hemagglutination inhibition test. Our results indicate that swine are susceptible hosts of bovine arboviruses without showing clinical symptoms in a natural environment. Moreover, we confirmed that JEV could be associated with reproductive failure in pregnant cattle, as were other vector-borne bovine arboviruses assessed in this study.     

Toggenburg Orbivirus, a new bluetongue virus: Initial detection, first observations in field and experimental infection of goats and sheep

A novel bluetongue virus termed “Toggenburg Orbivirus” (TOV) was detected in two Swiss goat flocks. This orbivirus was characterized by sequencing of 7 of its 10 viral genome segments. The sequencing data revealed that this virus is likely to represent a new serotype of bluetongue virus [Hofmann, M.A., Renzullo, S., Mader, M., Chaignat, V., Worwa, G., Thuer, B., 2008b. Genetic characterization of Toggenburg Orbivirus (TOV) as a tentative 25th serotype of bluetongue virus, detected in goats from Switzerland. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 14, 1855–1861].In the field, no clinical signs were observed in TOV-infected adult goats; however, several stillborn and weak born kids were reported. Although born during a period of extremely low vector activity, one of these kids was found to be antibody and viral genome positive and died 3.5 weeks postpartum.Experimental infection of goats and sheep, using TOV-positive field blood samples, was performed to assess the pathogenicity of this virus.Goats did not show any clinical or pathological signs, whereas in sheep mild bluetongue-like clinical signs were observed. Necropsy of sheep demonstrated bluetongue-typical hemorrhages in the wall of the pulmonary artery. Viral RNA was detected in organs, e.g. spleen, palatine tonsils, lung and several lymph nodes of three experimentally infected animals.Unlike other bluetongue virus serotypes, it was not possible to propagate the virus, either from naturally or experimentally infected animals in any of the tested mammalian or insect cell lines or in embryonated chicken eggs.In small ruminants, TOV leads to mild bluetongue-like symptoms. Further investigations about prevalence of this virus are needed to increase the knowledge on its epidemiology.     

Bivens arm virus: a new rhabdovirus isolated from Culicoides insignis in Florida and related to Tibrogargan virus of Australia

During field studies in 1981 on the transmission of bluetongue viruses in ruminants in Florida, a virus was isolated from Culicoides insignis collected near water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) recently imported from Trinidad. Electron microscopy showed that this isolate, for which the name Bivens Arm virus is proposed, has rhabdovirus morphology. Serologic comparisons were made with recognized rhabdoviruses from terrestrial vertebrates and hematophagous arthropods. Indirect fluorescent antibody, complement fixation and neutralization tests indicated antigenic reactivity between Bivens Arm virus and two rhabdoviruses found only in Australia, Tibrogargan and Coastal Plains viruses. The Australian isolates cause subclinical infections in cattle and water buffalo and are believed to be transmitted by Culicoides. Initially, it was thought that Bivens Arm virus may have been introduced to Florida with the water buffalo from Trinidad, but a serologic survey of cattle serum, collected before the importation of the buffalo revealed antibody to the virus in cattle on farms located in diverse areas of Florida.     

Isolation and genetic analysis of Japanese encephalitis virus from a diseased horse in Japan

Japanese encephalitis (JE) developed in an unvaccinated half-bred horse kept in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The animal showed ataxia with pyrexia and low appetite, and ultimately died. A viral strain was isolated from the cerebrum of the horse and was identified as JE virus (JEV) by RT-PCR using JEV specific primers. The isolated JEV was classified into genotype I by nucleotide sequence analysis of the viral envelope gene. We believe that this is the first report of the genotype I strain being isolated from a horse.