Ngoye virus: a novel evolutionary lineage within the genus Flavivirus

Abstract

By using degenerate primers deduced from conserved patterns in the flavivirus polymerase gene, a novel RNA virus was discovered in Rhipicephalus ticks sampled from members of the family Bovidae in Senegal. It was named Ngoye virus (NGOV) after the location from which it was isolated. Viral particles could be observed by electron microscopy, but isolation in vertebrate or invertebrate cell lines or by intracerebral infection of newborn mice remained unsuccessful. This is atypical of recognized arboviruses. The characterization of 4176 nt of the non-structural genes revealed that NGOV is a novel flavivirus species. It forms a distinct phylogenetic lineage related distantly to previously identified members of the genus Flavivirus. Analysis of genetic data suggested that the processing of the NGOV polyprotein and the organization of its replication complex are similar to those of flaviviruses. Together with other recent data, these findings suggest that a large number of viruses related distantly to 'classical' arthropod-borne flaviviruses remain to be discovered.

A New Flavivirus and a New Vector: Characterization of a Novel Flavivirus Isolated from Uranotaenia Mosquitoes from a Tropical Rain Forest

“…In recent years, many novel flaviviruses have been discovered, such as Ngoye virus and New Mapoon virus, along with the earlier-mentioned KRV and a novel strain of CFAV (7,8,16,26). This indicates a much larger heterogeneity among flaviviruses than previously thought and suggests that a large number of distantly related flaviviruses exist.…”

Tick Cell Lines for Study of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Other Arboviruses

“…Munz et al (1987) discovered reoviruslike particles in the R. appendiculatus cell line RA243; their presence did not prevent replication of the bunyavirus NSDV. Using a PCR-based method, Grard et al (2006) identified a novel flavivirus in R. evertsi and Rhipicephalus guilhoni ticks collected from small ruminants in Senegal; Ngoye virus failed to replicate in a range of vertebrate and invertebrate cell lines, including lines derived from embryonic R. appendiculatus and I. scapularis. Propagation of this virus in the recently established R. evertsi cell lines (Table 1) could be attempted to investigate its host species specificity and whether it is another candidate ''tick-only virus.''…”

Novel flaviviruses from mosquitoes: Mosquito-specific evolutionary lineages within the phylogenetic group of mosquito-borne flaviviruses

“…Interestingly, some of these ISFs appear to be capable of integrating their genomic sequences into mosquito genomes (Crochu et al, 2004). The additional flaviviruses, Tamana bat virus (TABV) (de Lamballerie et al, 2002) and Ngoye virus (Grard et al, 2006) appear to represent highly divergent genetic lineages not closely associated with any currently recognized flavivirus group.…”