Molecular diagnosis of group B coltiviruses infections

The group-B of genus Coltivirus encompasses isolates from humans, ticks or mosquitoes collected in Indonesia and China. Subgroup-B1 includes the strai n JKT/dsR-7075 and subgroup-B2 strains JKTdsR-6423, JKT/dsR-6969, JKT/dsR-7 043 and the Banna virus. Data are described for the PCR-based diagnosis of infection by group B coltiviruses. Sets of primers were designed from the s equences of the 7th, 9th and 12th viral segments and RT-PCR assays were dev eloped Consensus primers permitted the detection of all known isolates of s ubgroup 1 or 2. Viral strains could be characterised further using primers specific for type B2a or B2b, or based on the length of the amplification p roducts. All primers gave negative results when using RNAs from Orbiviruses or Group-A coltiviruses. These primers permitted the detection of Group-B coltiviruses-RNA in infected mouse blood at the acute stage of the disease. Accordingly, they could be used for the diagnosis of infection in humans. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.