Mavtchoutko V, Vene S, Haglund M, Forsgren M, Duks A, Kalnina V, Hörling J, Lundkvist A
National Environmental Health Centre, Riga, Latvia.
J Med Virol. 2000 Feb;60(2):216-22.
Viruses of the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) antigenic complex, within the family Flaviviridae, cause a variety of diseases including uncomplicated febrile illness, encephalitis, meningo-encephalitis, hemorrhagic fever and chronic disease in humans, domesticated animals or wildlife species. TBE is a serious problem in Latvia with up to a 1,000 patients confirmed serologically annually 1994-1995. No previous data had been reported on the causative agent of TBE in Latvia. In the present study, a virus was isolated from serum of a patient with clinical symptoms of an acute TBE infection. Nucleotide sequence information obtained by direct reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the serological characteristics of the isolated virus strain, designated TBE-Latvia-1-96, indicated a closer relationship to the Vasilchenko strain, isolated in Novosibirsk (Siberia, Russia), as compared to the western European or far eastern subtypes of TBE viruses. In a mouse neurovirulence assay, a significant difference in survival rates (days) was shown between Latvia-1-96 and the western European TBE virus subtype.
蜱传脑炎（TBE）抗原复合体病毒属于黄病毒科，可导致多种疾病，包括人类、家畜或野生动物的单纯性发热疾病、脑炎、脑膜脑炎、出血热和慢性病。在拉脱维亚，蜱传脑炎是一个严重问题，1994年至1995年期间，每年有多达1000名患者血清学确诊。此前没有关于拉脱维亚蜱传脑炎病原体的报道。在本研究中，从一名有急性蜱传脑炎感染临床症状患者的血清中分离出一种病毒。通过直接逆转录-聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）获得的核苷酸序列信息以及分离出的病毒株（命名为TBE-Latvia-1-96）的血清学特征表明，与蜱传脑炎病毒的西欧或远东亚型相比，它与在新西伯利亚（俄罗斯西伯利亚）分离出的瓦西里琴科毒株关系更密切。在小鼠神经毒力试验中，Latvia-1-96与西欧蜱传脑炎病毒亚型在存活率（天数）上显示出显著差异。
