Abstract
Alphaviruses are enveloped, positive-stranded RNA viruses that are the etiologic agents of severe encephalitis and polyarthritis. These viruses can be divided into six or seven serocomplexes (1). Four of these serocomplexes—represented by eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), western equine encephalitis (WEE), Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE), and Semliki Forest viruses—comprise the most medically important alphaviruses. The VEE serocomplex can be further divided into at least six subtypes (1 to 6), with subtype 1 having at least five different varieties (1AB, 1C, 1D, 1E, and 1F). The importance of VEE virus subtyping is that varieties 1AB and 1C viruses cause epidemic/epizootic VEE infection, whereas disease caused by other VEE viruses is endemic/enzootic. Ross River, Chikungunya, Mayaro, and Getah viruses are members of the Semliki Forest serocomplex. Sindbis and Ockelbo viruses are members of the WEE virus serocomplex. A newly emerging alphavirus, Barmah Forest, may represent a new serocomplex of alphaviruses.
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Roehrig, J.T. et al. (1998). Alphaviruses. In: Stephenson, J.R., Warnes, A. (eds) Diagnostic Virology Protocols. Methods in Molecular Medicine™, vol 12. Springer, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-479-8:7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-479-8:7
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