Complete Genome Sequencing and Phylogenetic Analysis of a Getah Virus Strain (Genus Alphavirus, Family Togaviridae) Isolated from Culex tritaeniorhynchus Mosquitoes in Nagasaki, Japan in 2012.
Abstract: Getah virus (GETV; genus Alphavirus, family Togaviridae) is a mosquito-borne virus known to cause disease in horses and pigs. In 2014, for the first time in ∼30 years, a sudden GETV outbreak occurred among racehorses in Ibaraki, Japan. Two years before this outbreak, we obtained multiple GETV isolates from Culex tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes collected in Nagasaki, Japan and determined the whole genome sequence of GETV isolate 12IH26. Our phylogenetic analysis of GETV strains revealed that the isolate 12IH26 forms a robust clade with the epidemic strains 14-I-605-C1 and 14-I-605-C2 isolated from horses in the 2014 outbreak in Ibaraki. Furthermore, the complete genomic sequence of the isolate 12IH26 was 99.9% identical to those of the 2014 epidemic strains in Ibaraki. Phylogenetic analysis also showed that the recent Japanese GETV strains, including the isolate 12IH26, are closely related to the Chinese and South Korean strains rather than the previous Japanese strains, suggesting that GETV strains may be transported from overseas into Japan through long-distance migration of the infected mosquitoes or migratory birds.
Publication Date: 2016-11-09 PubMed ID: 27827562DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2016.2017Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research article focuses on the extensive analysis and sequencing of the Getah Virus (GETV) which causes diseases in horses and pigs and is known to be carried by mosquitoes. The research discovered significant ties between recent virus strains in Japan and strains from China and South Korea, suggesting possible transportation through migratory patterns of infected birds or insects.
Genome Sequencing and Strain Observation
- The paper reports the discovery and subsequent complete genome sequencing of multiple GETV isolates in the Culex tritaeniorhynchus mosquito collected in Nagasaki, Japan in 2012.
- The strain dubbed 12IH26 was put under comprehensive phylogenetic analysis, an effort to map out the strain’s evolutionary relationships and origins based on the genetic information provided by genome sequencing.
- The research team discovered that the 12IH26 isolate formed a distinctive and strong clade (a group of organisms evolved from a common ancestor) with epidemic strains found in a sudden GETV outbreak in Ibaraki, Japan in 2014 among racehorses.
- This connection was reinforced by the genomic sequence of the 12IH26 isolate, which was found to be 99.9% identical to those in the 2014 epidemic strains in Ibaraki, indicating a clear evolution or transmission pathway explaining the sudden GETV outbreak.
Geographic Connections and Migration Patterns
- More intriguing, however, is the relationship of these recent Japanese GETV strains, including 12IH26, with those found in China and South Korea.
- Phylogenetic analysis showed an apparent closer relation between these geographically distinct strains, dismissing prior strains native to Japan, and instead hinting at a possible foreign origin of these new strains.
- This significant finding suggests that infected mosquitoes or migratory birds could be transporting these GETV strains over long distances across national borders, indicating a larger, international scope of disease transmission to be considered.
- Such a conclusion also raises concerns and possibilities for future outbreaks and transmissions in other uncharted regions, and calls for more extensive surveillance and monitoring for these movements.
Cite This Article
APA
Kobayashi D, Isawa H, Ejiri H, Sasaki T, Sunahara T, Futami K, Tsuda Y, Katayama Y, Mizutani T, Minakawa N, Ohta N, Sawabe K.
(2016).
Complete Genome Sequencing and Phylogenetic Analysis of a Getah Virus Strain (Genus Alphavirus, Family Togaviridae) Isolated from Culex tritaeniorhynchus Mosquitoes in Nagasaki, Japan in 2012.
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis, 16(12), 769-776.
https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2016.2017 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- 1 Department of Environmental Parasitology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University , Tokyo, Japan .
- 2 Department of Medical Entomology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases , Tokyo, Japan .
- 2 Department of Medical Entomology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases , Tokyo, Japan .
- 2 Department of Medical Entomology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases , Tokyo, Japan .
- 3 Division of infectious Diseases Epidemiology and Control, National Defense Medical Research Institute , National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan .
- 2 Department of Medical Entomology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases , Tokyo, Japan .
- 4 Department of Vector Ecology and Environment, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University , Nagasaki, Japan .
- 4 Department of Vector Ecology and Environment, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University , Nagasaki, Japan .
- 2 Department of Medical Entomology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases , Tokyo, Japan .
- 5 Research and Education Center for Prevention of Global Infectious Diseases of Animals, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology , Tokyo, Japan .
- 5 Research and Education Center for Prevention of Global Infectious Diseases of Animals, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology , Tokyo, Japan .
- 4 Department of Vector Ecology and Environment, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University , Nagasaki, Japan .
- 1 Department of Environmental Parasitology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University , Tokyo, Japan .
- 2 Department of Medical Entomology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases , Tokyo, Japan .
MeSH Terms
- Alphavirus / classification
- Alphavirus / genetics
- Amino Acid Substitution
- Animal Migration
- Animals
- Culex / virology
- Female
- Genome, Viral
- Japan
- Mosquito Vectors / virology
- Phylogeny
- Viral Proteins / genetics
- Viral Proteins / metabolism
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Cai R, He Q, Wang Q, Tian L, Chen Z, Wu X, Sun J, Shao Y, Song X, Qi K, Tu J, Wang Z. Development of a reverse genetics system for Getah virus and characterization of rescued strains. Vet Res 2025 Apr 12;56(1):80.
- Lan J, Duan L, Liu X, Zhou Y, Zeng B, Chen S, Ye Y, Huang D, Wan G, Zhang F, Song D. Seroprevalence of Getah virus in pigs in Southeast China determined with a recombinant Cap protein-based indirect ELISA. Front Microbiol 2025;16:1547670.
- Jian Z, Jiang C, Zhu L, Li F, Deng L, Ai Y, Lai S, Xu Z. Infectivity and pathogenesis characterization of getah virus (GETV) strain via different inoculation routes in mice. Heliyon 2024 Jul 15;10(13):e33432.
- Azerigyik FA, Faizah AN, Kobayashi D, Amoa-Bosompem M, Matsumura R, Kai I, Sasaki T, Higa Y, Isawa H, Iwanaga S, Ishino T. Evaluating the mosquito host range of Getah virus and the vector competence of selected medically important mosquitoes in Getah virus transmission. Parasit Vectors 2023 Mar 15;16(1):99.
- Takeishi M, Kuwata R, Ono T, Sasaki A, Ogata M, Iwata E, Taji S, Koike M, Nemoto M, Bannai H, Isawa H, Maeda K, Morikawa S, Kitagawa H, Yoshikawa Y. Seroconversion of anti-Getah virus antibody among Japanese native Noma horses around 2012. J Vet Med Sci 2022 Nov 18;84(12):1605-1609.
- Kobayashi D, Kuwata R, Kimura T, Shimoda H, Fujita R, Faizah AN, Kai I, Matsumura R, Kuroda Y, Watanabe S, Kuniyoshi S, Yamauchi T, Watanabe M, Higa Y, Hayashi T, Shinomiya H, Maeda K, Kasai S, Sawabe K, Isawa H. Detection of Jingmenviruses in Japan with Evidence of Vertical Transmission in Ticks. Viruses 2021 Dec 19;13(12).
- Faizah AN, Kobayashi D, Isawa H, Amoa-Bosompem M, Murota K, Higa Y, Futami K, Shimada S, Kim KS, Itokawa K, Watanabe M, Tsuda Y, Minakawa N, Miura K, Hirayama K, Sawabe K. Deciphering the Virome of Culex vishnui Subgroup Mosquitoes, the Major Vectors of Japanese Encephalitis, in Japan. Viruses 2020 Feb 28;12(3).
- Nemoto M, Bannai H, Ochi A, Niwa H, Murakami S, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kokado H, Kondo T. Complete Genome Sequences of Getah Virus Strains Isolated from Horses in 2016 in Japan. Genome Announc 2017 Aug 3;5(31).
- Bannai H, Nemoto M, Niwa H, Murakami S, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kondo T. Geospatial and temporal associations of Getah virus circulation among pigs and horses around the perimeter of outbreaks in Japanese racehorses in 2014 and 2015. BMC Vet Res 2017 Jun 19;13(1):187.
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