Inter-serotype reassortment among epizootic hemorrhagic disease viruses in the United States

Authors: WANG, LEYI - University Of Illinois; LANKA, SARASWATHI - University Of Illinois; CASSOUT, DEBBIE - University Of Illinois; MATEUS-PINILLA, NOHRA - University Of Illinois; LI, GANWU - Iowa State University; Wilson, William - Bill; YOO, DONGWAN - University Of Illinois; FREDERICKSON, RICHARD - University Of Illinois

Submitted to: Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/23/2019
Publication Date: 5/27/2019
Citation: Wang, L., Lanka, S., Cassout, D., Mateus-Pinilla, N., Li, G., Wilson, W.C., Yoo, D., Frederickson, R. 2019. Inter-serotype reassortment among epizootic hemorrhagic disease viruses in the United States. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.13257.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.13257

Interpretive Summary: Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a severe problem in wild and domestic ruminants. EHD outbreaks occur in deer populations each year from summer to late autumn. The etiological agent is EHD virus (EHDV) which is a segmented RNA virus. EHDV utilizes genetic strategies including genetic segment exchange (reassortment) to maintain viral fitness during infection. In 2018, EHDV serotype 2 was predominantly detected in deer in Illinois. Whole genome sequencing was conducted for two 2018 EHDV2 isolates (IL41747 and IL42218) and the sequence analyses indicated that IL42218 was a genetic reassortment between different serotypes whereas IL42218 was a genetically stable strain. Our data suggests multiple strains contribute to outbreaks each year.

Technical Abstract: First described in 1955 in New Jersey, epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) causes a severe clinical disease in wild and domestic ruminants worldwide. EHD outbreaks occur in deer populations each year from summer to late autumn. The etiological agent is EHD virus (EHDV) which is a double-stranded segmented icosahedral RNA virus. EHDV utilizes point mutations and reassortment strategies to maintain viral fitness during infection. In 2018, EHDV serotype 2 was predominantly detected in deer in Illinois. Whole genome sequencing was conducted for two 2018 EHDV2 isolates (IL41747 and IL42218) and the sequence analyses indicated that IL42218 was a reassortant between different serotypes whereas IL41747 was a genetically stable strain. Our data suggests multiple strains contribute to outbreaks each year.