Bagaza Virus in Himalayan Monal Pheasants, South Africa, 2016-2017

Abstract

Bagaza virus (BAGV) has not been reported in birds in South Africa since 1978. We used phylogenetic analysis and electron microscopy to identify BAGV as the likely etiology in neurologic disease and death in Himalayan monal pheasants in Pretoria, South Africa. Our results suggest circulation of BAGV in South Africa.

Keywords: Bagaza virus; Flavivirus; Himalayan monal pheasant; South Africa; viruses; zoonoses.

Figure 1

Maximum-likelihood phylogram of BAGV isolated in samples from Himalayan monal pheasants (black dots), South Africa, 2016–2017. Phylogram represents partial (1,079 nt) nonstructural coding gene 5 (NS5; taxa = 30). Bootstrap support with values >60 indicated on branches with posterior probabilities >0.95 from a maximum clade credibility tree. BAGV strains from this study are available in GenBank under the following accession nos.: ZRU349/17/6, no. MN329586; ZRU350/17/1, no. MN329584; ZRU350/17/2, no. MN329585; ZRU350/17/3, no. MN329587. Scale bar indicates nucleotide substitutions per site. BAGV, Bagaza virus; BYDV, Baiyangdian virus; DENV, Dengue virus; ILHV, Ilheus virus; ITV, Israel turkey meningoencephalitis virus; JEV, Japanese encephalitis virus; NTAV, Ntaya virus; ROCV, Rocio virus; TMUV, Tembusu virus; WNV, West Nile virus; ZIKAV, Zika virus.

Figure 2

Electron microscopy of Bagaza virus isolated in samples from Himalayan monal pheasants, South Africa, 2016–2017. A) Circles indicate occasional particles with size range and approximate morphology of Flaviviridae observed in samples ZRU350_17_1 and ZRU350_17_2. Scale bars indicate 200 nm. B) A few isolated fringed isometric particles of 40–65 nm (top row) and free-lying smooth-surfaced particles of 25–40 nm (bottom row) of suspected Flaviviridae observed in sample ZRU349_17_6. C) A few free-lying smooth-surfaced particle cores of 30–40 nm (C1) and a cluster of fringed isometric particles of 40–50 nm (C2–3) of suspected Flaviviridae observed in sample ZRU349_17_6.