OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between the structure and function at molecular level and the routes of transmission of Xinjiang hemorrhagic fever (XHF) virus.

METHODSS genes of five XHF virus strains were cloned, sequenced and compared with that of other Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus strains.

RESULTSIt was found that S genes of the five viruses had 1,672 nuclei tides, while ORF of them including 1,449 nuclei tides and coded with a protein of 482 amino acid. The nucleotides homology of Chinese isolates (93.0%-99.5%) was obviously higher than that of any other S genes strains identified in other countries'. Phylogenetic tree showed that all Chinese isolates clustered into one branch and could be further divided into another three groups.

CONCLUSIONThe sequential difference of S genes was not totally related to the host, areas and time of the viruses isolated.