Shimoda et al.
Detection of a novel tick-borne flavivirus and its serological surveillance
Ticks Tick Borne Dis, in press, doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.03006

A new flavivirus has been detected in wild boars by nested PCR technique in the Yamaguchi province on the island of Honshu, Japan. Phylogenetic analyses based on partial NS5 gene revealed this flavivirus belonging to the TBE virus complex with close relationship to Langat virus. The new virus was designated as Yamaguchi virus (YG virus). Attempts to isolate the virus from sera or liver of YG virus positive wild boars and using Vero- and BHK-21 cells as well as suckling mice were not successful. The YG virus could be detected in Haemaphysalis longicornus ticks collected in the Yamaguchi prefecture and in four other tick species in the Wakayama prefecture. As no YG virus could be isolated, an ELISA specific for Langat virus was used for seroepidemiological analyses and sera of wild boars from Yamaguchi and some other prefectures have tested positive. It is concluded that the YG virus is maintained by a reservoir of mammals and ticks distinct from that used by the TBE virus and the Langat virus.

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