Analysis on isolation and genotyping of wild measles virus in some areas of Xinjiang

Objective To explore the genetic characteristics and genotype of measles virus circulating recently in Xinjiang. Methods Vero/SLAM cell were used for measles viral isolation and culture. A 456 bp fragment of the N gene was amplified with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the sequence identification and homological analysis were conducted. Results Seven strains of measles virus were isolated in Xinjiang during 2013-2014 and all the strains were identified as subtype H1a. The strains shared 87.3%-89.5% homology of nucleotides sequence with Shanghai-191 vaccine strain, shared 91.0%-99.3% homology of nucleotides sequence with six genotype H1 strains recommended for genotype identification by WHO, and shared 97.3%-100.0% homology of nucleotides sequence with 3 circulating strains of subtype H1a strains. Conclusion Measles virus subtype H1a was predominant in Xinjiang. Recent measles epidemics were caused by the viruses with different gene sequences in Xinjiang. The continuous spread of subtype H1a strain is closely related to the accumulation of susceptible populations and population mobility.