Greek measles epidemic strain, 2005-2006

Epidemiol Infect. 2007 May;135(4):570-3. doi: 10.1017/S0950268806007308. Epub 2006 Oct 12.

Abstract

The purpose of this work was the molecular study of the virus strain that caused the last measles outbreak in Greece. Twenty-four saliva specimens were obtained from selected patients serologically confirmed as measles cases between December 2005 and March 2006. Measles virus (MV) detection was performed by a nested RT-PCR. The 447-bp segment of the N gene of these MV strains was used for genotyping. The N gene sequences of the Greek MV strains were identical to each other, therefore a phylogenetic tree was constructed using one representative MV (ThesGRE/06). Our data show that the MV strain which caused the 2005-2006 outbreak in Greece belongs to genotype D6, and differs by 0.68% from the New Jersey D6 strain and by 5.5% from the MV vaccine strain Edmonston B (U03656) belonging to genotype A.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Child, Preschool
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Greece / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Measles / epidemiology*
  • Measles / virology*
  • Measles virus / genetics*
  • Measles virus / isolation & purification*
  • RNA, Viral / analysis
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • RNA, Viral