OBJECTIVETo study the genetic characteristics of measles viruses circulating in Zhejiang province in 2005.

METHODS4 groups of measles viruses isolated in outbreaks and the H and N gene were amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). PCR products were purified, sequenced and data was analyzed.

RESULTSAll of the 4 measles isolates belonged to genotype H1 which had been a main genotype containing all of the isolates in China. The isolates shared 99.2% -99.7% identity of amino acid sequence on H and 99.8% identity of amino acid sequence on N gene. When comparing to the China vaccine strain (Shanghai 191), there were 95.2%-95.5% homogeneties and 95.5% homogeneties on H and N gene respectively.

CONCLUSIONData from phylogenic trees of H and N gene revealed that the wide-type measles viruses circulating in Zhejiang province in 2005 all belonged to genotype H1. There were obvious differences on genetic characteristics between the isolates and the genotype A (Shanghai 191).