Genetic characterization of clade B measles viruses isolated in Tunisia and Libya 2002–2009 and a proposed new subtype within the B3 genotype

Genetic characterization was conducted on 18 wild-type measles viruses, detected in Tunisia and Libya from 2002 to 2009. Sequence analysis of the 456 nucleotides in the carboxy terminus of the nucleoprotein (N) gene and the entire hemagglutinin (H) gene indicated that all isolates were in genotype B3. All of the viruses from 2002 to 2007 and some of the isolates from 2009 belonged to subtype B3.1. In contrast, 7 of the viruses isolated during 2008 and 2009 were quite divergent from all B3 isolates. The nucleotide sequences of the N gene of these 7 isolates differed from the sequences of the Ibadan and New York reference strain by an average of 3.1 and 4.4%, respectively. The H gene sequences differed by 1.1 and 2.6% with the same reference strains. This is the first report describing the genetic characteristics of measles viruses from clade B isolated in North Africa; the results suggest that these viruses represent a new subtype of genotype B3.

Research highlights▶ Measles viruses detected in Tunisia and Lybia from 2002 to 2009 belonged to genotype B3. ▶ Viruses isolated from 2002 to 2007 and some from 2009 were in subtype B3.1. ▶ Seven of the viruses isolated during 2008 and 2009 were divergent from all B3 isolates. ▶ These viruses can represent a new subtype of genotype B3.