Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1993 Jun;67(6):3576–3585. doi: 10.1128/jvi.67.6.3576-3585.1993

Genetic heterogeneity among isolates of Ross River virus from different geographical regions.

M D Lindsay 1, R J Coelen 1, J S Mackenzie 1
PMCID: PMC237705  PMID: 8497065

Abstract

The RNase T1 maps of 80 isolates of Ross River virus from different regions of mainland Australia and the Pacific Islands were compared. Four different clusters of isolates with greater than an estimated 5 to 6% diversity at the nucleotide level were found. There was a pattern of differences between eastern and western Australian strains; however, the pattern was disturbed by overlaps and incursants. Pacific Islands isolates belonged to the eastern Australian topotype. Our findings suggest that certain genetic types of Ross River virus predominate in different geographical regions. In contrast, populations of other important Australian arboviruses (Murray Valley encephalitis, Kunjin, and Sindbis viruses) are distributed across the Australian continent as minor variants of one strain. Our data also show that in one region, strains of Ross River virus with identical RNase T1 maps circulate during both years when epidemics occur and years when they do not. This finding suggests that Ross River virus epidemics are not dependent on the introduction or evolution of new strains of the virus. Two strains, belonging to the eastern Australian topotype, were isolated in Western Australia. It is likely that viremic humans or possibly domestic livestock travelling by aircraft were responsible for this movement.

Full text

PDF
3576

Images in this article

3580Image
on p.3580

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aaronson R. P., Young J. F., Palese P. Oligonucleotide mapping: evaluation of its sensitivity by computer-simulation. Nucleic Acids Res. 1982 Jan 11;10(1):237–246. doi: 10.1093/nar/10.1.237. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Aaskov J. G., Mataika J. U., Lawrence G. W., Rabukawaqa V., Tucker M. M., Miles J. A., Dalglish D. A. An epidemic of Ross River virus infection in Fiji, 1979. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1981 Sep;30(5):1053–1059. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1981.30.1053. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Burness A. T., Pardoe I., Faragher S. G., Vrati S., Dalgarno L. Genetic stability of Ross River virus during epidemic spread in nonimmune humans. Virology. 1988 Dec;167(2):639–643. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Calisher C. H., Kinney R. M., de Souza Lopes O., Trent D. W., Monath T. P., Francy D. B. Identification of a new Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus from Brazil. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1982 Nov;31(6):1260–1272. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1982.31.1260. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Campbell J., Aldred J., Davis G. Isolation of Ross River virus from Aedes camptorhynchus. Med J Aust. 1989 May 15;150(10):602–604. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1989.tb136702.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Coelen R. J., Flynn L. M., Mackenzie J. S. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of RNase T1 resistant oligonucleotides of flavivirus RNA using ultrathin gels. J Virol Methods. 1989 Jan;23(1):71–76. doi: 10.1016/0166-0934(89)90091-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Coelen R. J., Mackenzie J. S. Genetic variation of Murray Valley encephalitis virus. J Gen Virol. 1988 Aug;69(Pt 8):1903–1912. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-69-8-1903. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Faragher S. G., Dalgarno L. Regions of conservation and divergence in the 3' untranslated sequences of genomic RNA from Ross River virus isolates. J Mol Biol. 1986 Jul 20;190(2):141–148. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(86)90287-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Faragher S. G., Marshall I. D., Dalgarno L. Ross River virus genetic variants in Australia and the Pacific Islands. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1985 Aug;63(Pt 4):473–488. doi: 10.1038/icb.1985.52. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Faragher S. G., Meek A. D., Rice C. M., Dalgarno L. Genome sequences of a mouse-avirulent and a mouse-virulent strain of Ross River virus. Virology. 1988 Apr;163(2):509–526. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(88)90292-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Flynn L. M., Coelen R. J., Mackenzie J. S. Kunjin virus isolates of Australia are genetically homogeneous. J Gen Virol. 1989 Oct;70(Pt 10):2819–2824. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-70-10-2819. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gard G., Marshall I. D., Woodroofe G. M. Annually recurrent epidemic polyarthritis and Ross River virus activity in a coastal area of New South Wales. II. Mosquitoes, viruses, and wildlife. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1973 Jul;22(4):551–560. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1973.22.551. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Grayson M. A., Galindo P. Epidemiologic studies of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus in Almirante, Panama. Am J Epidemiol. 1968 Jul;88(1):80–96. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a120870. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hahn C. S., Lustig S., Strauss E. G., Strauss J. H. Western equine encephalitis virus is a recombinant virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Aug;85(16):5997–6001. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.16.5997. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hori H., Morita K., Igarashi A. Oligonucleotide fingerprint analysis on Japanese encephalitis virus strains isolated in Japan and Thailand. Acta Virol. 1986 Sep;30(5):353–359. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Morita K., Igarashi A. Oligonucleotide fingerprint analysis of strains of Getah virus isolated in Japan and Malaysia. J Gen Virol. 1984 Nov;65(Pt 11):1899–1908. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-65-11-1899. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mudge P. R., Aaskov J. G. Epidemic polyarthritis in Australia, 1980-1981. Med J Aust. 1983 Sep 17;2(6):269–273. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1983.tb122461.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Roehrig J. T., Hunt A. R., Chang G. J., Sheik B., Bolin R. A., Tsai T. F., Trent D. W. Identification of monoclonal antibodies capable of differentiating antigenic varieties of eastern equine encephalitis viruses. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1990 Apr;42(4):394–398. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1990.42.394. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Rosen L., Gubler D. J., Bennett P. H. Epidemic polyarthritis (Ross River) virus infection in the Cook Islands. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1981 Nov;30(6):1294–1302. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1981.30.1294. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Scrimgeour E. M., Aaskov J. G., Matz L. R. Ross River virus arthritis in Papua New Guinea. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1987;81(5):833–834. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(87)90045-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Taylor W. P., Marshall I. D. Adaptation studies with Ross River virus: laboratory mice and cell cultures. J Gen Virol. 1975 Jul;28(1):59–72. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-28-1-59. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Taylor W. P., Marshall I. D. Adaptation studies with Ross River virus: retention of field level virulence. J Gen Virol. 1975 Jul;28(1):73–83. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-28-1-73. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Tesh R. B., Gajdusek D. C., Garruto R. M., Cross J. H., Rosen L. The distribution and prevalence of group A arbovirus neutralizing antibodies among human populations in Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1975 Jul;24(4):664–675. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1975.24.664. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Tesh R. B., McLean R. G., Shroyer D. A., Calisher C. H., Rosen L. Ross River virus (Togaviridae: Alphavirus) infection (epidemic polyarthritis) in American Samoa. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1981;75(3):426–431. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(81)90112-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Trent D. W., Clewley J. P., France J. K., Bishop D. H. Immunochemical and oligonucleotide fingerprint analyses of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis complex viruses. J Gen Virol. 1979 May;43(2):365–381. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-43-2-365. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Trent D. W., Grant J. A. A comparison of New World alphaviruses in the western equine encephalomyelitis complex by immunochemical and oligonucleotide fingerprint techniques. J Gen Virol. 1980 Apr;47(2):261–282. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-47-2-261. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Trent D. W., Grant J. A., Rosen L., Monath T. P. Genetic variation among dengue 2 viruses of different geographic origin. Virology. 1983 Jul 30;128(2):271–284. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(83)90255-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Trent D. W., Grant J. A., Vorndam A. V., Monath T. P. Genetic heterogeneity among Saint Louis encephalitis virus isolates of different geographic origin. Virology. 1981 Oct 30;114(2):319–332. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(81)90214-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Vrati S., Fernon C. A., Dalgarno L., Weir R. C. Location of a major antigenic site involved in Ross River virus neutralization. Virology. 1988 Feb;162(2):346–353. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(88)90474-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Weaver S. C., Rico-Hesse R., Scott T. W. Genetic diversity and slow rates of evolution in New World alphaviruses. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1992;176:99–117. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-77011-1_7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Weaver S. C., Scott T. W., Rico-Hesse R. Molecular evolution of eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus in North America. Virology. 1991 Jun;182(2):774–784. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(91)90618-l. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Woodroofe G., Marshall I. D., Taylor W. P. Antigenically distinct strains of Ross River virus from north Queensland and coastal New South Wales. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1977 Feb;55(1):79–97. doi: 10.1038/icb.1977.7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Young N. A., Johnson K. M. Antigenic variants of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus: their geographic distribution and epidemiologic significance. Am J Epidemiol. 1969 Mar;89(3):286–307. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a120942. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Virology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES