Bunyamwera virus

Bunyamwera virus
Virus classification
(unranked):	Virus
Realm:	Riboviria
Kingdom:	Orthornavirae
Phylum:	Negarnaviricota
Class:	Bunyaviricetes
Order:	Elliovirales
Family:	Peribunyaviridae
Genus:	Orthobunyavirus
Species:	Orthobunyavirus bunyamweraense
Synonyms [1]
Bunyamwera orthobunyavirus

Bunyamwera virus (BUNV) is a negative-sense, segmented, enveloped RNA virus. It is assigned to the Orthobunyavirus genus, in the Peribunyaviridae family.

Bunyamwera virus can infect both humans and Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito). ^[2]

It is named for Bunyamwera, a town in western Uganda, where it was isolated in 1943. Reassortant viruses derived from Bunyamwera virus, such as Ngari virus, have been associated with large outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fever in Kenya and Somalia. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Molecular biology

Genome of Bunyamwera virus

The genetic structure of Bunyamwera virus is typical for viruses in Bunyaviricetes , which are a class of enveloped negative-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses with a genome split into three parts—Small (S), Middle (M), and Large (L). The L RNA segment encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L protein), the M RNA segment encodes two surface glycoproteins (Gc and Gn) and a nonstructural protein (NSm), while the S RNA segment encodes a nucleocapsid protein (N) and, in an alternative overlapping reading frame, a second nonstructural protein (NSs). ^[6] The genomic RNA segments are encapsidated by copies of the N protein in the form of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. ^[7] The N protein is the most abundant protein in virus particles and infected cells and, therefore, the main target in many serological and molecular diagnostics. ^{[8] [9]}

Disease in humans

Bunyamwera fever
Specialty	Infectious disease

In humans, Bunyamwera virus causes Bunyamwera fever.

References

1. "History of the taxon: Species: Orthobunyavirus bunyamweraense (2024 Release, MSL #40)". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
2. "Bunyamwera virus (BUNV)".
3. Gerrard SR, Li L, Barrett AD, Nichol ST (2004). "Ngari virus is a Bunyamwera virus reassortant that can be associated with large outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever in Africa". J Virol. 78 (16): 8922–6. doi:10.1128/JVI.78.16.8922-8926.2004. PMC   479050 . PMID   15280501.
4. Odhiambo C, Venter M, Limbaso K, Swanepoel R, Sang R (2014). "Genome sequence analysis of in vitro and in vivo phenotypes of Bunyamwera and Ngari virus isolates from northern Kenya". PLOS ONE. 9 (8): e105446. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9j5446O. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105446 . PMC   4143288 . PMID   25153316.
5. Briese, T.; Bird, B.; Kapoor, V.; Nichol, S. T.; Lipkin, W. I. (12 May 2006). "Batai and Ngari Viruses: M Segment Reassortment and Association with Severe Febrile Disease Outbreaks in East Africa". Journal of Virology. 80 (11): 5627–5630. doi:10.1128/JVI.02448-05. PMC   1472162 . PMID   16699043.
6. Plyusnin, Alexander; Elliott, Richard M (2011-01-01). Bunyaviridae: molecular and cellular biology. Norfolk, UK: Caister Academic Press. ISBN   9781904455905. OCLC   711044654.
7. Ariza, Antonio; Tanner, Sian J.; Walter, Cheryl T.; Dent, Kyle C.; Shepherd, Dale A.; Wu, Weining; Matthews, Susan V.; Hiscox, Julian A.; Green, Todd J. (2013-06-01). "Nucleocapsid protein structures from orthobunyaviruses reveal insight into ribonucleoprotein architecture and RNA polymerization". Nucleic Acids Research. 41 (11): 5912–5926. doi:10.1093/nar/gkt268. ISSN   0305-1048. PMC   3675483 . PMID   23595147.
8. Bilk, S.; Schulze, C.; Fischer, M.; Beer, M.; Hlinak, A.; Hoffmann, B. (2012-09-14). "Organ distribution of Schmallenberg virus RNA in malformed newborns". Veterinary Microbiology. 159 (1–2): 236–238. doi:10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.03.035. PMID   22516190.
9. Bréard, Emmanuel; Lara, Estelle; Comtet, Loïc; Viarouge, Cyril; Doceul, Virginie; Desprat, Alexandra; Vitour, Damien; Pozzi, Nathalie; Cay, Ann Brigitte (2013-01-15). "Validation of a Commercially Available Indirect Elisa Using a Nucleocapside Recombinant Protein for Detection of Schmallenberg Virus Antibodies". PLOS ONE. 8 (1): e53446. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...853446B. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053446 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   3546048 . PMID   23335964.