Genomic characterization and evolution of Tacaiuma orthobunyavirus (Peribunyaviridae family) isolated in Brazil

Abstract

Tacaiuma virus (TCMV) is antigenically characterized as a member of the Anopheles A complex in the Orthobunyavirus genus, Peribunyaviridae family (Bunyavirales order). Clinically, the TCMV infection is characterized by acute febrile illness with myalgia and arthralgia lasting three to five days. However, the genomic and evolutionary aspect of this virus has not been elucidated. In this study, we described the complete coding sequences of three segments of two TCMV strains isolated in Brazil and three complete coding sequences of the small segment of three TCMV strains. All the strains sequenced in this study showed the typical genomic organization of orthobunyaviruses that infect vertebrates, except for the absence of the open reading frame that encodes the well-described non-structural small protein. This study presents the genomic and evolutionary characterization of TCMV strains and would be helpful for diagnostic purposes and epidemiology.

Keywords: Arbovirus; Bunyavirales; Genomic characterization; Orthobunyavirus; Tacaiuma orthobunyavirus.