Classification of Barmah Forest virus as an alphavirus using cytotoxic T cell assays.

Barmah Forest virus, an arbovirus, does not cross-react convincingly with alpha-, flavi- or bunyavirus immune sera. Secondary cytotoxic T cells generated in vitro immune to a number of alphaviruses cross-lyse Barmah Forest virus-infected target cells. Flavivirus (West Nile and Kunjin)- and Bunyamwera virus-immune Tc cells lyse homologous virus-infected target cells, but not alphavirus-infected targets. Using cytotoxic T cell assays Barmah Forest virus can be classified as an alphavirus.