Ruhugu virus, scientific name ''Rubivirus ruteetense'', is a species of virus in the
genus ''
Rubivirus
''Rubivirus'' is a genus of virus
A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria an ...
''. It was discovered in 2019 in healthy Ugandan bats. It belongs to the
family of ''
Matonaviridae
''Rubivirus'' is a genus of virus
A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria an ...
'', a single-stranded
RNA
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) are nucleic acids. Along with lipids, proteins, and carbohydra ...
of
positive polarity which is enclosed by an
icosahedral capsid.
Discovery and habitat
Ruhugu virus was discovered in healthy
Cyclops roundleaf bat
The cyclops roundleaf bat or cyclops leaf-nosed bat (''Doryrhina cyclops'') is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae found in the forests of equatorial Africa.
Description
Cyclops roundleaf bats are relatively small, with adults ranging ...
s in
Kibale National Park
Kibale Forest National Park is a national park in western Uganda, protecting moist evergreen rainforest. It is in size and ranges between and in elevation. Despite encompassing primarily moist evergreen forest, it contains a diverse array of ...
, Uganda.
prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, while looking for
coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the com ...
es carried by bats.
Etymology
Ruhugu virus was named after the Ruteete region of Uganda and the word in the local
Tooro language, which describes "the flapping of bat wings in the hollow of a tree: obuhuguhugu"
Structure
Ruhugu virus is closely related to
Rubella virus and differs in only one amino acid in the protein it uses to get into host cells.
In the fusion protein of the virus and two putative T cell epitopes in the capsid protein of the ruhugu virus the amino acid sequences of four putative B cell epitopes are moderately to highly conserved, suggesting ruhugu viruses have a similar capacity for fusion with the host-cell membrane like rubella virus.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q100348353
Rubella
Viruses