What does this research mean for the field?

Tribeč virus (TRBV) exhibits significant genetic variability and potential reassortment, indicating its zoonotic relevance and the need for further ecological studies. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to detect and characterize the genetic features of Tribeč virus and assess its reassortment.

March 3, 2026Archives of Virology0 citationsOpen Access

Detection, genetic characterization and reassortment analysis of Tribeč virus

KPKatarína Loziaková PeňazziováUniversity of Veterinary Medicine in Košice PSPetra SchusterováUniversity of Veterinary Medicine in Košice SPSoňa PivkaUniversity of Veterinary Medicine in Košice

Key Points

The aim is to detect and characterize the genetic features of Tribeč virus and assess its reassortment.
Used RT-PCR assay to detect the virus in Ixodes ricinus ticks from goats.
Cultured the virus in Vero E6 cells and performed immunofluorescence.
Conducted whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of viral strains.
Identified TRBV in ticks with seroconversion in goats showing low antibody response.
Sequencing revealed high identity with other TRBV and Muko virus strains.
Phylogenetic analysis indicated TRBV's closer relation to Kemerovo viruses.
Noted significant variability in segment 10 and reassortment in segment 4 encoding NS1 protein.

Abstract

This study reports the detection and genetic characterization of Tribeč virus (TRBV), a tick-borne orbivirus of zoonotic relevance. The virus was identified in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from a goat using a newly developed RT-PCR assay. Goats grazing in the study area showed seroconversion, with low titre neutralization antibody response. The new isolate, designated 16.C/2016/Dubrava/SVK, was successfully cultured in Vero E6 cells and detected by immunofluorescence. Replication efficiency varied across rodent, human, and bovine cell lines. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that most genome segments shared high sequence identity with other TRBV strains and with Muko virus (MUKV) strains from Japan. In contrast, phylogenetic analysis based on the VP4 outer capsid protein indicated that the TRBV clade is more closely related to Kemerovo viruses from Russia. Segment 10 showed the highest variability, where strains from Slovakia and Romania formed sister clades with MUKV, and the Ukrainian strains with KEMV. Indication of a reassortment was observed in segment 4, encoding the NS1 tubule-forming protein, which appears to originate from the prototype TRBV isolated in Slovakia during the 1960s. Collectively, these findings highlight the genetic variability of TRBV and support the need for further studies on the ecology, evolution, and diversity of tick-borne orbiviruses.

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