Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5909406 | Infection, Genetics and Evolution | 2014 | 6 Pages |
Abstract
Western BTV-1 emerged in the Mediterranean basin in 2006 and it has since been isolated in southern and northern European countries. Six BTV-1 strains isolated from infected sheep in Italy between 2006 and 2013 and a BTV-1 strain isolated from an infected sheep in Tunisia in 2011 were fully sequenced. The seven strains were shown to be nearly identical in each gene segment. The Seg-2 sequences of the BTV-1 strains group according to the year of isolation reflecting the time of BTV incursions in Italy. Combined results suggest that BTV-1 strains isolated in Sardinia, Sicily and mainland Italy in 2012 and 2013 have a direct northern African origin. The Italian strains originated from a strain closely related to a BTV-1 strain isolated in Tunisia in 2011. Better surveillance programs with northern and sub-Saharan African countries should be implemented making the control of spread of BTV easier and effective.
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Authors
Alessio Lorusso, Soufien Sghaier, Massimo Ancora, Maurilia Marcacci, Annapia Di Gennaro, Ottavio Portanti, Iolanda Mangone, Liana Teodori, Alessandra Leone, Cesare Camma', Antonio Petrini, Salah Hammami, Giovanni Savini,