Characterization of New Jersey vesicular stomatitis virus isolates from horses and black flies during the 1982 outbreak in Colorado.

Vesicular stomatitis viruses isolated from horses, afflicted during the recent outbreak in the western United States, and from black flies (Simuliidae) were characterized with respect to the homology of their genomic RNAs and the mobility of their proteins in polyacrylamide gels. All the isolates were very similar, if not identical, with respect to these two parameters. When the black fly isolate was compared to other VSV isolates, this virus appeared to belong in the Hazelhurst subgroup of the New Jersey serotype of VSV. Since the other viruses in this division were obtained from infected swine, the natural host range of this subgroup has been extended to horses.