Antigenic and genetic characterization of a divergent African virus, Ikoma lyssavirus

Horton, D. L. et al. (2014) Antigenic and genetic characterization of a divergent African virus, Ikoma lyssavirus. Journal of General Virology, 95(Pt. 5), pp. 1025-1032. (doi: 10.1099/vir.0.061952-0)

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Abstract

In 2009, a novel lyssavirus (subsequently named Ikoma lyssavirus, IKOV) was detected in the brain of an African civet (Civettictis civetta) with clinical rabies in the Serengeti National Park of Tanzania. The degree of nucleotide divergence between the genome of IKOV and those of other lyssaviruses predicted antigenic distinction from, and lack of protection provided by, available rabies vaccines. In addition, the index case was considered likely to be an incidental spillover event, and therefore the true reservoir of IKOV remained to be identified. The advent of sensitive molecular techniques has led to a rapid increase in the discovery of novel viruses. Detecting viral sequence alone, however, only allows for prediction of phenotypic characteristics and not their measurement. In the present study we describe the in vitro and in vivo characterization of IKOV, demonstrating that it is (1) pathogenic by peripheral inoculation in an animal model, (2) antigenically distinct from current rabies vaccine strains and (3) poorly neutralized by sera from humans and animals immunized against rabies. In a laboratory mouse model, no protection was elicited by a licensed rabies vaccine. We also investigated the role of bats as reservoirs of IKOV. We found no evidence for infection among 483 individuals of at least 13 bat species sampled across sites in the Serengeti and Southern Kenya.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Lembo, Dr Tiziana and Cleaveland, Professor Sarah
Authors: Horton, D. L., Banyard, A. C., Marston, D. A., Wise, E., Selden, D., Nunez, A., Hicks, D., Lembo, T., Cleaveland, S., Peel, A. J., Kuzmin, I. V., Rupprecht, C. E., and Fooks, A. R.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Journal Name:Journal of General Virology
Publisher:Society for General Microbiology
ISSN:0022-1317
ISSN (Online):1465-2099
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2014 Crown Copyright
First Published:First published in Journal of General Virology 95(Pt.5):1025-1032
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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