BACKGROUNDTo disclose the species and distribution of tick-borne arboviruses in the southern part of Xinjiang.

METHODTotally 5045 ticks were collected from 36 collecting sites of 23 places in the southern Xinjiang, which were made into cDNA pools with pd(N)6 primer through RT-PCR method. Then PCR was used to detect viral nucleotide sequence from cDNA.

RESULTSAll 34 cDNAs showed negative to flavivirus and California serogroup virus primers; but nairovirus and primers derived from Xinjiang hemorrhagic fever virus had amplified and yielded some obvious bands corresponding to the nucleotide sequences of Xinjiang hemorrhagic fever virus. A phylogenetic analysis was done to the obtained partial sequences of L and S segments.

CONCLUSIONNucleotide sequences of Neither flaviviruses nor California serogroup viruses were detected from the samples. However partial L segment sequence was first reported in China. Phylogenetic analysis of partial L and S segments disclosed the molecular characteristic of Xinjiang hemorrhagic fever virus.