Full-Genome Sequencing of Four Bluetongue Virus Serotype 11 Viruses

Recently, a contamination incident was described in which the challenge inoculum used in a bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) vaccination trial was contaminated with a BTV-11 virus that was closely related to the Belgian BTV-11 virus from 2008. This study reports the first complete genome sequences of four BTV-11 viruses: the BTV-11 contaminant, BTV-11 reference strain, BTV-11 vaccine strain and a recently isolated BTV-11 field strain from Martinique. Full-genome analysis showed that these viruses belong to serotype 11/nucleotype A and cluster together with other western topotype bluetongue viruses. Detailed comparisons of the genomes further indicated that the contaminant was derived from the BTV-11 reference strain, as they were distinguished by a single synonymous nucleotide substitution. The previously reported partial sequence of genome segment 2 of the Belgian BTV-11 was found to be identical to that of the BTV-11 vaccine strain, indicating that it most likely was the BTV-11 vaccine strain. These findings also suggest that the BTV-11 contaminant and the Belgian BTV-11 are not the same viruses. Finally, comparison of the reference and vaccine strain did not allow determining the amino acid substitutions that contribute to the attenuated phenotype.