Virus research
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In Japan, indigenous tick-borne phleboviruses (TBPVs) and their associated diseases first became evident in 2013 by reported human cases of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS). In this study, we report a novel member of the genus Phlebovirus designated as Kabuto Mountain virus (KAMV), which was isolated from the ixodid tick Haemaphysalis flava in Hyogo, Japan. A complete viral genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses showed that KAMV is a novel member of TBPVs, which is closely related to the Uukuniemi and Kaisodi group viruses. ⋯ KAMV could infect and replicate in some rodent and primate cell lines. We evaluated the infectivity and pathogenicity of KAMV in suckling mice, where we obtained a virulent strain after two passages via intracerebral inoculation. This is the first report showing the existence of a previously unrecognized TBPV in Japan, other than the SFTS virus.