Numerical comparative serology of the Bhanja antigenic group (Bunyaviridae).

Antigenic relationships between the two known members of the Bhanja serogroup (Bhanja virus, 7 strains; Kismayo virus, two strains) were studied by a plaque-reduction cross-neutralization test in Vero cells, using hyperimmune mouse sera. The results were then subjected to a cluster analysis, which showed (in the form of a dendrogram) a considerable antigenic difference between the two viruses. Within Bhanja virus, the European isolates from Haemaphysalis punctata or H. sulcata ticks were antigenically indistinguishable, while the strains isolated in Africa and Asia from other tick species differed slightly from the European strains and also from each other.