First Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Umatilla Virus (Sedoreoviridae, Orbivirus) in Brazil

Abstract

In this study, we provide a genomic description of the first isolation of the Umattila virus (UMAV) in Brazil. The virus was obtained from the blood of a bird (Turdus fumigatus) and isolated in a C6/36 cell culture. The viral genome contains ten segments, and its organization is characteristic of viruses of the genus Orbivirus (family Sedoreoviridae). The coding region of each segment was sequenced, demonstrating the nucleotide identity with UMAV. The phylogenetic inference results were in line with these findings and demonstrated the formation of two distinct monophyletic clades containing strains isolated around the world, where our isolate, belonging to the same clade as the prototype strain, was allocated to a different subclade, highlighting the genetic divergence between them. This work reports the first isolation of UMAV in Brazil, and due to the scarcity of information on this viral agent in the scientific literature, it is essential to carry out further studies to better understand its epidemiology, dispersion, and, in particular, its interactions with vertebrate hosts, vectors, and the environment.