Genetic analysis of Akabane virus isolates from cattle in Korea

Bayesian Inference (BI) and Neighbor Joining (NJ) analyses of the phylogenetic relationships between the nucleotide sequences of the N gene of Akabane virus revealed an unclear topology among genogroups I-III, which was probably caused by genetic reassortment or recombination between these genogroups. In contrast, nucleotide and amino acid phylogenetic tree analyses of the M RNA segment agreed with the topologies obtained by using the BI and NJ methods. Therefore, distinct genogrouping of Akabane virus isolates should be performed using the M RNA segment. Four Korea isolates were classified into genogroup II together with Akabane virus strains isolated from all areas of Japan, including Okinawa Island. However, more nationwide isolates and more clinical data from Korean cattle farms will be required in the future to confirm the precise relationships between genotypes and pathogenicity.