Gene homology of novel Bunyavirus among counties in Zhoushan Islands

Objective To understand gene homology of novel Bunyavirus prevailing among counties in Zhoushan Islands. Methods Serums in acute phase were collected from severe fever with thrombocytopenia (SFTS) patients and the viruses were cultured and isolated using Vero cell. Specific gene segments of strain (L, M and S) were amplified by RT-PCR, and sequence homology and phylogenetic analysis were carried out by software DNA Star and MEGA5.2. Results The L, M, S gene sequences of 5 SFTS virus strains could be clustered into 3 clades: the first clade complete gene sequence had relatively high homology with Korean JP series and Japanese SPL004A strains, of which the nucleotide similarity was 97.8%; the second clade had higher homology with part strains close to inland area and Japanese strain (SPL057A) , of which the nucleotide similarity was 98.8%-99.9%; and the third clade had relatively high homology with strains from Jiangsu (JS2007-1, etc.) , Liaoning (LN3/2010) , Henan (WCH-97/2011) , Anhui (AH15/2010) , Henan Huaiyangshan (2010-FQM) as well as Hubei (HB2014-20) , of which the nucleotide similarity was 97.8%-98.5%. Conclusions The homology of SFTS virus prevailing in Zhoushan Island is varied. New evidence supports that SFTS virus isolates in Zhoushan Islands are probable transmitted from South Korea and other partsin mainland China. Key words: Bunyaviridae infections; Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome; Sequence alignment