Project name: Alphavirus

Description: Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and Madariaga virus (MADV) are mosquito-borne alphaviruses (family,Togaviridae) of significant public and veterinary health importance throughout North, Central and South America. It has a single-stranded positive sense RNA genome of about 11,700 nt in length. EEEV causes a very debilitating disease in humans with case-fatality rates ranging between 50 and 75%, and for equids, rates can achieve as high as 80%. Despite hundreds of isolations and the significant public and veterinary health problem this virus poses, the majority of EEEV genetic studies primarily involved only partial gene sequences of the structural or non-structural genes. Only 10 complete genomes have been determined and deposited on GenBank to date and comparative genomics studies cannot be performed thoroughly. The proposed project aims to fill this gap in sequence data by elucidating the complete genomes for 100 EEEV strains that represent the entire geographic and temporal distribution of EEEV since its first isolation in the new world in 1933. The resultant genetic data generated in this study would allow researchers to: a) Characterize EEEV genetic diversity and describe its molecular epidemiology; b) Identify genetic determinants of EEEV emergence and virulence; c) Infer the demographic history and evolutionary dynamics of EEEV; d) Infer the evolution of virulence and pathogenesis throughout EEEV’s transmission history; e) Improve the ability to derive attenuated EEEV stains for vaccine development; f) generate infectious cDNA clones; g) Identify genetic factors underlying phenotypic differences among EEEV strains in the New World.

Data type: Genome sequencing

Sample scope: Multispecies

Relevance: Medical

Last updated: 2012-12-05