Ms. Oberste et al., Geographic distribution of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus subtype IEgenotypes in Central America and Mexico, AM J TROP M, 60(4), 1999, pp. 630-634
Citations number
43
Categorie Soggetti
Envirnomentale Medicine & Public Health","Medical Research General Topics
Phylogenetic analysis of 20 strains of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE)
virus subtype IE isolated from 1961 to 1996 in Mexico and throughout Centr
al America showed that VEE virus subtype IE was monophyletic with respect t
o other VEE virus subtypes. Nonetheless, there were at least three distinct
geographically separated VEE virus LE genotypes: northwestern Panama, Paci
fic coast (Mexico/Guatemala), and Gulf/Caribbean coast (Mexico/Belize). Str
ains from the Caribbean coast of Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua may clu
ster with the Gulf/Caribbean genotype, but additional isolates from the reg
ion between Guatemala and Panama will be required to firmly establish their
phylogenetic position. Viruses associated with two separate equine epizoot
ics in Mexico in the 1990s were phylogenetically related to nonepizootic vi
ruses from neighboring Guatemala and may represent the emergence or re-emer
gence of equine-virulent VEE virus subtype IE in Middle America.