The diversity of measles virus in the United Kingdom, 1992-1995

Three distinct genotypes were identified amongst 50 measles virus (MV) strains characterized in the UK between 1992 and 1995 by direct sequencing of the RT-PCR products amplified from clinical specimens. All three genotypes were related to viruses previously reported in the United States or in continental Europe. Phylogenetic analyses of 255 and 152 nucleotide sequences from the N and M genes, respectively, generated very similar lineages. The degree of divergence between genotypes was 3.5-16% and 2.6-7.9% in the N and the M genes, respectively. MV genotypes which circulated during the 1970s and 1980s in the UK were not detected in this period. Comparison of the C-terminal regions of the N gene sequences of UK strains isolated or detected between 1974 and 1995 suggests that there have been multiple genotypes of MV circulating in the UK over the past 20 years.