Lokern virus
{{Short description|RNA virus}}
{{Virusbox
| parent = Orthobunyavirus
| species = Bunyamwera orthobunyavirus
| virus = Lokern virus
}}
Lokern virus (LOKV){{Cite journal|last1=Tangudu|first1=Chandra S.|last2=Charles|first2=Jermilia|last3=Blitvich|first3=Bradley J.|date=2018-08-06|title=Evidence that Lokern virus (family Peribunyaviridae) is a reassortant that acquired its small and large genome segments from Main Drain virus and its medium genome segment from an undiscovered virus|journal=Virology Journal|volume=15|issue=1|pages=122|doi=10.1186/s12985-018-1031-6|issn=1743-422X|pmc=6080421|pmid=30081908 |doi-access=free }} is a single-stranded, negative sense, tri-segmented RNA virus. It is a subtype of the Bunyamwera virus (BUNV) and closely related to the Main Drain virus (MDV). The virus is a natural reassortment that received its S and L segments from MDV while its M segment shows a relatively low percentage of nucleotide identity in relation to any other orthobunyavirus, suggesting it came from an unknown or extinct virus.
Transmission
The primary form of transmission for LOKV is through mosquitoes. Multiple species of mosquitoes have been discovered with the ability to transmit the virus including Culex tarsalis, Aedes nigromaculis, Aedes melanimon, Culiseta inornata, and Culicoides variipennis.{{Cite web|title=ArboCat Virus: Lokern (LOKV)|url=https://wwwn.cdc.gov/arbocat/VirusDetails.aspx?ID=269&SID=9|access-date=2022-01-09|website=wwwn.cdc.gov}} Other than mosquitoes, the virus has been found in horses, cows, and dogs in Mexico.
Geography
Lokern virus has been found throughout Mexico and the western United States.{{Cite journal|last1=Laredo-Tiscareño|first1=Stephaine Viridiana|last2=Garza-Hernandez|first2=Javier A.|last3=Rodríguez-Alarcón|first3=Carlos A.|last4=Adame-Gallegos|first4=Jaime R.|last5=Beristain-Ruiz|first5=Diana M.|last6=Barajas-López|first6=Ignacio Netzahualcoyotl|last7=González-Peña|first7=Rodolfo|last8=Baylon-Jaquez|first8=David|last9=Camacho-Perea|first9=Adriana|last10=Vega-Durán|first10=Alfonso|last11=Rubio-Tabares|first11=Ezequiel|date=2021-10-14|title=Detection of Antibodies to Lokern, Main Drain, St. Louis Encephalitis, and West Nile Viruses in Vertebrate Animals in Chihuahua, Guerrero, and Michoacán, Mexico|url=https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/vbz.2021.0028|journal=Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases|volume=21|issue=11|language=en|pages=884–891|doi=10.1089/vbz.2021.0028|pmid=34652234|s2cid=238990363|issn=1530-3667|url-access=subscription}} Additional isolates have been discovered in Texas and Colorado from mosquitoes and culicoides, respectively. Other states that have shown a presence of the virus include New Mexico and Utah. A study conducted in Mexico also found horses, cows, and dogs with lokern virus antibodies present.
Effects in humans
History
Lokern virus was first isolated in 1962 by Robert P. Scrivani in California from Culex tarsalis mosquitoes.