Measles virus strains circulating in Ethiopia in 1998–1999: Molecular characterisation using oral fluid samples and identification of a new genotype
✍ Scribed by W. Nigatu; L. Jin; B.J. Cohen; D.J. Nokes; M. Etana; F.T. Cutts; D.W.G. Brown
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2001
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 169 KB
- Volume
- 65
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0146-6615
- DOI
- 10.1002/jmv.2044
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
A measles outbreak in December 1998 in Bedelle (vaccine coverage <40%) and two sporadic cases in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, were investigated. Paired serum and oral fluid samples were collected 2–8 days after the onset of symptoms. A total of 53 of 55 outbreak cases and both sporadic cases were positive for serum measles virus‐specific IgM. Oral fluid measles‐specific IgM was positive in 71% of cases collected up to 5 days after onset and in 90% collected at 6–8 days. By contrast, 100% of oral fluid samples were positive for measles virus RNA by RT‐PCR, suggesting that early collection of samples favoured the detection of measles virus RNA by RT‐PCR. The measles virus strain in the outbreak was identified as genotype D4. One strain from a sporadic case was also genotype D4; the strain from the other sporadic case was assigned to clade D but was distinct. The degree of divergence from recognised clade D strains suggested that, together with three strains from the United Kingdom, it represents an additional genotype of clade D (GenBank accession numbers AF280800–280807). J. Med. Virol. 65:373–380, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.