Virology Department, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, 36 Avenue Pasteur, BP. 220, Dakar 12000, Senegal.
Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University Cheikh Anta Diop, BP. 5005, Dakar 10700, Senegal.
Viruses. 2024 Feb 6;16(2):261. doi: 10.3390/v16020261.
Bataï virus (BATV), belonging to the Orthobunyavirus genus, is an emerging mosquito-borne virus with documented cases in Asia, Europe, and Africa. It causes various symptoms in humans and ruminants. Another related virus is Ilesha virus (ILEV), which causes a range of diseases in humans and is mainly found in African countries. This study aimed to genetically identify and characterize a BATV strain previously misclassified as ILEV in Senegal. The strain was reactivated and subjected to whole genome sequencing using an Illumina-based approach. Genetic analyses and phylogeny were performed to assess the evolutionary relationships. Genomic analyses revealed a close similarity between the Senegal strain and the BATV strains UgMP-6830 from Uganda. The genetic distances indicated high homology. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the Senegal strain's clustering with BATV. This study corrects the misclassification, confirming the presence of BATV in West Africa. This research represents the first evidence of BATV circulation in West Africa, underscoring the importance of genomic approaches in virus classification. Retrospective sequencing is crucial for reevaluating strains and identifying potential public health threats among neglected viruses.
巴泰病毒（BATV）属于正布尼亚病毒属，是一种新兴的蚊媒病毒，在亚洲、欧洲和非洲都有记录病例。它会导致人类和反刍动物出现各种症状。另一种相关病毒是伊莱沙病毒（ILEV），它会导致人类患上一系列疾病，主要分布在非洲国家。本研究旨在对塞内加尔先前被错误归类为 ILEV 的 BATV 株进行基因鉴定和特征描述。该病毒株被复活，并使用基于 Illumina 的方法进行全基因组测序。遗传分析和系统发育分析用于评估进化关系。基因组分析显示，塞内加尔株与来自乌干达的 UgMP-6830 株 BATV 株密切相似。遗传距离表明高度同源性。系统发育分析证实了塞内加尔株与 BATV 的聚类关系。本研究纠正了错误分类，证实了 BATV 存在于西非。这是首次在西非发现 BATV 循环，突出了基因组方法在病毒分类中的重要性。回顾性测序对于重新评估病毒株和识别被忽视病毒中的潜在公共卫生威胁至关重要。
