[Isolation of Bhanja arbovirus from Boophilus decoloratus ticks in Cameroon]

A strain of virus designated YaK-10 was isolated from Boophilus decoloratus ticks (10 specimens) collected in March 1971 from cattle pastured in savanna near Garoy (United Cameroun Republic) by the intracerebral inoculation of suckling mice at the Pasteur Institute in Cameroun. The results of investigations of the biological properties of the strain showed it to be pathogenic for 1-3-day-old suckling mice by the intracerebral and intraperitoneal routes, for 3-week-old mice by the intracerebral route and to be nonpathogenic for adult mice. The incubation period was 5-7 days. The virus multiplies in chick embryos producing death of the majority of eggs and in chick embryo fibroblast cultures with a weak cytopathic effect, and it is sensitive to ether and sodium deoxycholate, passes Millipore filters with pore diameter of 220 nm and has no hemagglutinating properties. Studies of the antigenic properties of the virus by CF and neutralization tests showed it to be identical with Dakar D-9540 VIRUS (Bhanja).