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Journal of Virology, May 2001, p. 4103-4109, Vol. 75, No. 9
Australian Centre for International & Tropical Health & Nutrition, Queensland Institute of Medical Research
and the University of Queensland, Brisbane,
Queensland,1 Australian Antarctic
Division, Kingston, Tasmania,2
CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong,
Victoria,3 and Australian Genome
Research Facility, University of Queensland, and Australia
and Graduate Research College, Southern Cross University, Lismore,
New South Wales,4 Australia
Received 6 November 2000/Accepted 29 January 2001
A novel alphavirus was isolated from the louse Lepidophthirus
macrorhini, collected from southern elephant seals,
Mirounga leonina, on Macquarie Island, Australia. The virus
displayed classic alphavirus ultrastructure and appeared to be
serologically different from known Australasian alphaviruses. Nearly
all Macquarie Island elephant seals tested had neutralizing antibodies
against the virus, but no virus-associated pathology has been
identified. Antarctic Division personnel who have worked extensively
with elephant seals showed no serological evidence of exposure to the virus. Sequence analysis illustrated that the southern elephant seal
(SES) virus segregates with the Semliki Forest group of Australasian alphaviruses. Phylogenetic analysis of known alphaviruses suggests that
alphaviruses might be grouped according to their enzootic vertebrate
host class. The SES virus represents the first arbovirus of marine
mammals and illustrates that alphaviruses can inhabit Antarctica and
that alphaviruses can be transmitted by lice.
0022-538X/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.75.9.4103-4109.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Arbovirus of Marine Mammals: a New Alphavirus
Isolated from the Elephant Seal Louse, Lepidophthirus
macrorhini
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Queensland
Institute of Medical Research, Post Office, Royal Brisbane Hospital,
Queensland 4029, Australia. Phone: 61-7-33620415. Fax: 61-7-33620107. E-mail: andreasS{at}qimr.edu.au.
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