RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Huhtamo, Eili A1 Lambert, Amy J. A1 Costantino, Stefano A1 Servino, Luca A1 Krizmancic, Letizia A1 Boldorini, Renzo A1 Allegrini, Sara A1 Grasso, Ivan A1 Korhonen, Essi M. A1 Vapalahti, Olli A1 Lanciotti, Robert S. A1 Ravanini, PaoloYR 2013 T1 Isolation and full genomic characterization of Batai virus from mosquitoes, Italy 2009 JF Journal of General Virology, VO 94 IS 6 SP 1242 OP 1248 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.051359-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB In 2009, 2589 mosquitoes were collected in northwest Italy and screened for orthobunyavirus RNA by RT-PCR. One pool of Anopheles maculipennis complex mosquitoes was found to be positive and a virus was isolated from that pool. The isolate was identified as Batai virus (BATV) by sequencing. Previously, BATV was detected in Italy, but limited data and no prior isolates existed. Full-length sequences of the S, M and L segments were determined for the newly isolated Italian strain. For comparison, partial sequences were also determined for the BATV strain Calovo (former Czechoslovakia, 1960). Phylogenetic analyses revealed clustering of the newly derived Italian BATV along with a recent isolate from Germany and the historic strain Calovo. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first isolation of BATV from Italy, which confirms a broader geographical distribution of BATV in Europe than was previously verified by isolation., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.051359-0