The complete genome sequence of a Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus isolated from an endemic region in Kosovo (original) (raw)

Molecular Epidemiology, Genomics, and Phylogeny of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, 2007

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) constitutes a group of viruses of the genus Nairovirus (family Bunyaviridae). Like all members of the Bunyaviridae, the genome of CCHFV is composed of tripartite single-stranded RNA. These segments, designated small (S), medium (M), and large (L), minimally encode the nucleocapsid (N), envelope glycoproteins (Gn and Gc), and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), respectively [38]. Published descriptions of major epidemics, outbreaks, and the ecology of CCHFV have been reviewed extensively [18, 43, 45]. Interestingly a common theme is illustrated by the very wide distribution of the virus, which stretches over much of Asia, extending from the Xinjiang region of China to the Middle East and southern Russia, and to focal endemic areas over much of Africa and parts of southeastern Europe. Thus, CCHFV is the most widely distributed agent of severe haemorrhagic fever known. 5.2. MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY Classic serological methods have been important in determining CCHF distribution; however, these assays do not readily differentiate between alternative strains of CCHFV. In order to characterize viral strains in more detail and facilitate a global epidemiological study, molecular methods based on partial and complete sequence data of the S segment have been used to identify certain S segment genotypes [9, 13, 36]. These genotypes show a strong relationship to the geographical area of parent virus isolation, leading to the terminology Asia 1,

Molecular Epidemiology of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Kosovo

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2014

The goal of this study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) in Turkey. The study was performed on a total of 48 confirmed human CCHF cases from 2006 to 2008. The majority of the CCHF viral strains in Turkey were found to belong to the European lineage. Local CCHF viral strains are grouped into two main clusters, which can be further divided into two sub-groups. We also identified an AP92-like virus causing clinical disease in Corum (a mid-Anatolian province). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the most recent CCHFV infections were caused by intrinsic (or native) CCHF viral strains, which we identified as the local topotype. Comparison of deduced amino acid sequences of S-segment RNAs indicated that the local topotype was derived from viruses of previous years, most likely by a low rate recombination. No genetic differences, based on S-and M-segment RNA sequences, were found between human and tick viral isolates. This data suggest that replication of CCHFV in the tick vector, whether Rhiphicephalus spp. or Hyalomma spp., has no effect on the viral genomic structure.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus: sequence analysis of the small RNA segments from a collection of viruses world wide

Virus Research, 2004

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFv) is a member of the genus Nairovirus in the family Bunyaviridae. It possesses a tripartite, single stranded RNA genome of negative polarity consisting of large (L), medium (M) and small (S) segments. CCHF virus is enzootic in life stock and wild animals in many parts of the Middle East, Asia and Africa and is also recognised in Southeast Europe. Severe disease, manifest as haemorrhagic fever and high mortality rates (up to 50%), is only recognised in humans. 14 15 16 17

A variable region in the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus L segment distinguishes between strains isolated from different geographic regions

Journal of Medical Virology, 2006

Alignment of Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) L genome segment full-length sequences reveals an overall high level of conservation among strains, with greater than 90% of translated amino acid residues strictly conserved. However, a region of marked variability identified previously, corresponding to L polyprotein amino acid positions 760–810, shares only 40% overall identity between strains. The variable regions sequences of 16 laboratory-adapted CCHFV strains were determined, including 11 strains from European Russia, one strain from Bulgaria, and four strains from the Central Asian countries of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates this L segment variable region sequence divides CCHFV strains into similar geographically-defined groupings observed for S segment-derived trees, but with higher bootstrap support and a much smaller character set required for analysis. J. Med. Virol. 78:223–228, 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Complete L segment coding-region sequences of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus strains from the Russian Federation and Tajikistan

Archives of Virology, 2006

The large (L) RNA segment of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus strain AST/TI30908, isolated from pooled Hyalomma marginatum ticks collected in 2002 from the Astrakhan region of European Russia, was amplified piecemeal using reverse-transcription/polymerase chain reaction, followed by direct sequencing of gel-purified amplicons. After removal of 5′ and 3′ primer-generated termini, the assembled AST/TI30908 L segment sequence is 12112 nucleotides long, with 41.3% G + C content, and is greater than 87% and 96% identical at the nucleotide and translated amino acid levels, respectively, to partial or full-length CCHF virus L segment sequences deposited in GenBank. A complete L segment coding-region sequence for CCHF virus strain TAJ/HU8966, isolated from a patient in Tajikistan in 1990, was determined in a similar fashion. This L segment (12133 nucleotides long, 41.1% G + C content) shares 88% nucleotide identity with the full-length strain Matin from Pakistan, and 97% nucleotide identity with a partial L segment sequence of strain Khodzha from Uzbekistan. Strain TAJ/HU8966 shares at least 96% identity at the translated amino acid level with all other CCHF virus L segment sequences. Although, for the most part, CCHF virus L polyprotein primary sequences are uniformly well conserved, a region of marked variability was identified in the N-terminal half of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. This region, approximately 50 amino acids in length, is flanked by previously-reported arenavirus and bunyavirus-conserved regions, and may prove useful in CCHF diagnosis and viral taxonomy.

Co-evolutionary patterns of variation in small and large RNA segments of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus

Journal of General Virology, 2005

The genus Nairovirus of the family Bunyaviridae includes the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) species group. The species is predominated by the hazard-group 4 pathogens, from which the name and majority of strain entries are derived. Additionally, the species embraces hazard-group 2 viruses that are classified as members by antigenic cross-reactivity. CCHF viruses have a tripartite RNA genome consisting of large (L), medium (M) and small (S) segments. Here, the sequence characterization of previously undescribed L and S segments from novel strains originating in the Middle East and Africa is reported. Further scrutiny of this data with phylogenetic tools, in the context of other publicly available sequence information, reveals analogous grouping patterns between the L and S segments. These groups correlate with the geographical distribution of strain isolation and indicate that the L and S segments of CCHF viruses have evolved together.

Genetic analysis of the M RNA segment of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus strains involved in the recent outbreaks in Russia

Archives of Virology, 2004

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe zoonosis with a high fatality rate. In Russia, local CCHF outbreaks have occurred in the Stavropol Territory, and the Volgograd and Astrakhan Regions during 2000 and 2001. Seven strains of CCHF virus (CCHFV) were isolated from infected patients and collected ticks. Two fragments of the CCHF virus M genome segment were PCR amplified and their nucleotide sequences were determined. All these virus strains appear to be closely related (up to 5.8% nucleotide sequence differences) and form a distinct clade on the CCHFV phylogenetic tree. Within this clade, CCHFV strains from Stavropol and Astrakhan cluster together, whereas those from Volgograd form a separate subgroup.

Evidence of Segment Reassortment In Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus

Journal of General …, 2004

The complete nucleotide sequences of the small (S) and medium (M) segments of three independent strains of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus isolated in Uzbekistan, Iraq and Pakistan have been determined. Partial S and M segment sequences from two additional strains and partial large segment sequences from five strains of CCHF virus have also been obtained. These data have been compiled and compared with published full-length and partial sequences of other CCHF virus strains. Analysis of virus strains for which complete and partial S and M segment sequences are available reveals that the phylogenetic grouping of some strains differ between these two segments. Data provided in this report suggest that this discrepancy is not the result of recombination, but rather the consequence of reassortment events that have occurred in some virus lineages. Although described in other genera of the Bunyaviridae family, this is the first report of segment reassortment occurring in the Nairovirus genus.

Genetic Characterization of the M RNA Segment of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Strains Isolated in Russia and Tajikistan

Virus Genes, 2004

The data on the structure of the M genome segment of CCHF virus strains from Russia and Central Asia (Tajikistan) are presented. Data obtained have been compared with other available published sequences of the middle segment of strains from China, Nigeria, and Pakistan. It has been found that all the known strains can be divided into four genetic groups, based on the nucleotide sequence of the M genome segment and an amino acid sequence of the glycoprotein precursor it encodes, whereas VLG/TI29414 and STV/HU29223 strains from Russia form a separate group. The CCHF virus strain from Tajikistan, TADJ/HU8966, was genetically related to strains 7803 and 75024 from China, and together with these and the Nigerian IbAr 10200 strain, it forms another group.