Genomic and phylogenetic characterization of Merino Walk virus, a novel arenavirus isolated in South Africa

Gustavo Palacios, Nazir Savji, Jeffrey Hui, Amelia Travassos Da Rosa, Vsevolod Popov, Thomas Briese, Robert Tesh, W. Ian Lipkin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

Merino Walk virus (MWV), a proposed novel tentative species of the family Arenaviridae, was isolated from a rodent, Myotomys unisulcatus, collected at Merino Walk, Eastern Cape, South Africa, in 1985. Full-length genomic sequence confirmed MWV as an arenavirus related distantly to Mobala, Mopeia and Ippy viruses, all members of the Old World arenavirus complex. We propose MWV as a tentative novel species in the Lassa-lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus complex, based on its isolation from a novel rodent species and its genetic and serological characteristics.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1315-1324
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of General Virology
Volume91
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1 2010

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Virology

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