He et al.
Complete genomic characterization of three tick-borne encephalitis viruses detected along the China-North Korea border, 2011.
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2018, in press

The first human TBE case in China has been reported in 1943, and the first virus strain was isolated in Northeast China in 1953. The latter has been classified as Far Eastern subtype (TBEV-FE). Most TBE virus infections in China occur in the Northeastern and Northern region of the country. However, little has been done to characterize the viral genome of these strains. He et al. have now analyzed three virus strains isolated from Dermacentor silvarum in Northeastern China (Jilin Province) near the border to North Korea. The glycoprotein E gene of these isolates cluster within the TBEV-FE subtype and showed a high homology to Russian Svetlogorie and Kavalerovo strains which had been isolated from patients in 1985 and 2008. In summary, the authors confirm the circulation of TBEV-FE subtype in Northeastern China. In Xinjiang Province of China, the Siberian subtype (TBEV-Sib) has been isolated, and recently, a new Himalayan subtype (TBEV-Him) has been discovered in Tibet (see snapshot week 25). Thus, at least three TBE virus subtypes are currently circulating in China.

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