Abstract
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is the prototype of the family Arenaviridae. LCMV can be associated with severe disease in humans, and its global distribution reflects the broad dispersion of the primary rodent reservoir, the house mouse (Mus musculus). Recent interest in the natural history of the virus has been stimulated by increasing recognition of LCMV infections during pregnancy, and in clusters of LCMV-associated fatal illness among tissue transplant recipients. Despite its public health importance, little is known regarding the genetic diversity or distribution of virus variants. Genomic analysis of 29 LCMV strains collected from a variety of geographic and temporal sources showed these viruses to be highly diverse. Several distinct lineages exist, but there is little correlation with time or place of isolation. Bayesian analysis estimates the most recent common ancestor to be 1,000-5,000 years old, and this long history is consistent with complex phylogeographic relationships of the extant virus isolates.
Highlights
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is the prototype of the family Arenaviridae
We investigate the genetic diversity of 29 LCMVs, and infer from those sequences a history reaching back >1,000 years, findings consistent with the existing complex virus phylogeographic patterns
Initial S and L segment sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis confirmed that all the LCMV and LCMV-like virus genome sequences were monophyletic and distinctly related to the other Old World arenaviruses
Summary
Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (C.G. Albariño, M.L. Khristova, B.R. Erickson, S.A. Carroll, J.A. Comer, T.G. Ksiazek, S.T. Nichol); Columbia University, New York, New York, USA In April 2008, a public health investigation showed evidence of acute LCMV infection in 2 transplant recipients who had received kidneys from a common donor. Both patients died 4 and 10 weeks after transplantation despite intensive supportive care [7]. We investigate the genetic diversity of 29 LCMVs, and infer from those sequences a history reaching back >1,000 years, findings consistent with the existing complex virus phylogeographic patterns
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