MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ADENOVIRUS TYPE-7 IN ISRAEL - IDENTIFICATION OF 2 NEW GENOME TYPES, AD7K AND AD7D2

The molecular epidemiology of Adenovirus type 7 in Israel was investig ated. Fifty-seven adenovirus isolates identified as serotypes 7 or 7a which were recovered from patients in Israel between 1968 and 1995 wer e analyzed by restriction enzymes digestion using BamHI for primary di scrimination and identification of genome types and by six additional enzymes: BstEII, HpaI, BgII, BgIII, Bell, and XbaI for confirmation an d determination of genomic subtypes. Four digestion patterns were iden tified with BamHI; one of them was new. Using BstEII, two patterns wer e obtained, one of them new. Digestion with the other five enzymes yie lded known patterns. The analysis revealed four different genomic type s and subtypes, which circulated in Israel in different years: subtype 7a1; type 7b, a type with a new BamHI pattern which was designated ty pe 7K, and a subtype with a new BstEII pattern which differed from typ e 7d by one restriction site and was designated type 7d2. Twenty-two i solates from 1968 through 1975 and from 1984 were Ad7a1. Three isolate s from 1973-1974 were Ad7b. Five isolates from 1968 through 1973 were Ad7K and 27 isolates from 1992 through 1995 were Ad7d2. This demonstra tes the temporal change in the circulating genome types with up to th ree genome types cocirculating in 1 year (1973). The two new types, Ad 7k and Ad7d2 could have evolved in Israel or could have been imported by travellers and immigrants from neighboring or distant countries. (C ) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.