Citations 1
The Unique Phylogenetic Position of a Novel Tick-Borne Phlebovirus Ensures an Ixodid Origin of the Genus Phlebovirus
Nao, Naganori, Mori‐Kajihara, Akina, Muramatsu, Mieko, Qiu, Yongjin , Torii, Shiho , Igarashi, Manabu , Kasajima, Nodoka, Mizuma, Keita, Yoshii, Kentaro , Sugimoto, Chihiro , Takada, Ayato , Matsuno, Keita , Ebihara, Hideki , Kajihara, Masahiro , Nakao, Ryo , Sawa, Hirofumi , Ebihara, Hideki
mSphere | June 12, 2018 | Volume: 3 | Issue: 3 | Pages: No page available
The emergence of novel tick-borne RNA viruses causing severe illness in humans has complicated the epidemiological landscape of tick-borne diseases, requiring further investigation to safeguard public health. In the present study, we discovered a novel tick-borne phlebovirus from Ixodes persulcatus ticks in Japan. While its viral RNA genome sequences were similar to those of mosquito/sandfly-borne viruses, molecular and biological footprints confirmed that this is a tick-borne virus. The unique evolutionary position of the virus allowed us to estimate the ancestral phlebovirus vector, which was likely a hard tick. Our findings may provide a better understanding of the evolution and emergence of phleboviruses associated with emerging infectious diseases, such as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) and Heartland virus disease.