Article: Imported Lassa Fever in Germany: Molecular Characterization of a New Lassa Virus Strain.

We describe the isolation and characterization of a new Lassa virus strain imported into Germany by a traveler who had visited Ghana, Cote D'lvoire, and Burkina Faso. This strain, designated "AV," originated from a region in West Africa where Lassa fever has not been reported. Viral S RNA isolated from the patient's serum was amplified and sequenced. A long-range reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction allowed amplification of the full-length (3.4 kb) S RNA. The coding sequences of strain AV differed from those of all known Lassa prototype strains (Josiah, Nigeria, and LP) by approximately 20%, mainly at third codon positions. Phylogenetically, strain AV appears to ...

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