V. Deubel et al., MOLECULAR-DETECTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF YELLOW-FEVER VIRUS IN BLOOD AND LIVER SPECIMENS OF A NON-VACCINATED FATAL HUMAN CASE, Journal of medical virology, 53(3), 1997, pp. 212-217
A yellow fever virus of a South American genotype was identified in th
e liver and blood samples of a non-vaccinated European patient after h
is return from Brazil. ELISA tests were negative for IgG and positive
for IgM against yellow fever. Yellow fever proteins in the formalin-fi
xed and paraffin-embedded liver biopsy were detected by immunohistoche
mical procedures. Viral RNA extracted from the liver tissue was also d
etected using an RT-semi-nested PCR procedure and molecular hybridizat
ion. Alignment of the sequence obtained from a gene fragment amplified
by RT-semi-nested PCR directly from a blood sample with those of Afri
can and South American yellow fever virus strains identified a Brazili
an topotype as being responsible for the disease. RT-semi-nested PCR m
ay be used advantageously for clinical specimens for rapid and specifi
c diagnosis, and with archival biopsy material for retrospective studi
es. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.