MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY OF TICK-BORNE ENCEPHALITIS-VIRUS - CROSS-PROTECTION BETWEEN EUROPEAN AND FAR-EASTERN SUBTYPES

Tick-borne encephalitis virus isolates from widely separated geographi c regions of the USSR, six isolates from Hungary and one from France w ere compared with the European and Far Eastern prototype viruses. Pept ide mapping by limited proteolysis yielded similar patterns for five s elected isolates from the USSR. All isolates from Hungary and France e xhibited the same reactivity pattern with a panel of 16 protein E-spec ific monoclonal antibodies, whereas 10 out of 12 isolates from the Sov iet Union showed minor differences at certain epitopes. However, no co rrelation between geographic origin of the isolates and their antigeni c structure was observed. No statistically significant difference in t he degree of protection was detected when mice were immunized with the European prototype vaccine and challenged with three selected Asian i solates and one from the European part of the USSR.