{{Short description|Species of virus}} {{virusbox | name = Getah virus | parent = Alphavirus | species = Alphavirus getah | synonyms = *''Sagiyama virus'' | synonyms_ref = <ref name=ICTV2023> https://ictv.global/report/chapter/togaviridae/togaviridae/alphavirus November 2023</ref> }} thumb|The first outbreak of Getah virus occurred in racehorses.
'''Getah virus''' is a mosquito-borne arbovirus in the ''Alphavirus'' genus. The virus was first isolated in Malaysia in 1955 from the ''Culex gelidus'' mosquito. It has been known to infect pigs but more commonly affects horses.<ref name="pmid25898181">{{cite journal |vauthors = Nemoto M, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Kobayashi M, Kikuchi T, Yamanaka T, Kondo T |title=Getah Virus Infection among Racehorses, Japan, 2014 |journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases |volume=21 |issue=5 |pages=883–5 |year=2015 |pmid=25898181 |pmc=4412242 |doi=10.3201/eid2105.141975 }}</ref> The virus was isolated near rubber plantations; the word ''Getah'' means rubber in Malay. The first outbreak among racehorses occurred in Japan September–November 1978.<ref name="pmid25898181"/> Getah virus is widely distributed in South-east Asian countries and while previous studies have indicated the presence of Getah virus in Northern Australia<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Zhai|first=You-gang|date=2008|title=Complete sequence characterization of isolates of Getah virus (genus Alphavirus, family Togaviridae) from China|journal=Journal of General Virology|volume=89|issue=Pt 6|pages=1446–1456|doi=10.1099/vir.0.83607-0|pmid=18474561|doi-access=free}}</ref> these have recently been brought into question.<ref name="pmid33081269">{{cite journal| vauthors=Rawle DJ, Nguyen W, Dumenil T, Parry R, Warrilow D, Tang B | display-authors=etal| title=Sequencing of Historical Isolates, K-mer Mining and High Serological Cross-Reactivity with Ross River Virus Argue against the Presence of Getah Virus in Australia. | journal=Pathogens | year= 2020 | volume= 9 | issue= 10 | page=848| pmid=33081269 | doi=10.3390/pathogens9100848 | pmc=7650646 | doi-access=free}} </ref>
== Genome ==
Getah virus has a positive-sense single stranded RNA genome. According to Baltimore Classification System, this virus is in Group IV.
The virus appears to have evolved about 1872 (95% range: 1773 - 1942) and has diverged into four lineages.<ref name=Li2017>Li YY, Liu H, Fu SH, Li XL, Guo XF, Li MH, Feng Y, Chen WX3, Wang LH, Lei WW, Gao XY, Lv Z, He Y, Wang HY, Zhou HN, Wang GQ, Liang GD (2017) From discovery to spread: The evolution and phylogeny of Getah virus. Infect Genet Evol 55:48-55 </ref>
== Transmission and infection == The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, specifically those in the ''Aedes'' and ''Culex'' genera. It is also transmitted between horses through aerosols or direct nasal contact, though this seems unlikely since a large portion of virus particles are necessary for transmission and are found in lower numbers in nasal secretions.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/getah_virus.pdf|title=The Center for Food Security & Public Health - Iowa State University|date=March 2017}}</ref>
In horses, the virus causes fever, rash, edema of the hind legs, and swelling of the lymph nodes. In inoculated horses, the symptoms manifested themselves beginning 2–4 days post infection.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Nemoto|first=Manabu|date=2016|title=Genomic, pathogenic, and antigenic comparisons of Getah virus strains isolated in 1978 and 2014 in Japan|journal=Archives of Virology|volume=161|issue=6|pages=1691–1695|doi=10.1007/s00705-016-2840-9|pmid=27016932 |s2cid=254051389 }}</ref> In pigs, the virus causes miscarriage; symptoms occurred 1–3 days after experimental infection.<ref name=":2" /> Though the virus does not produce illness in humans, neutralizing antibodies have been identified within humans.<ref name=":1" />
=== Treatment === There is an inactivated-virus vaccine for horses. Once the horse is infected, supportive therapy is the only treatment available. Horses usually make a full recovery after 1 to 2 weeks. No Getah virus deaths have been reported in horses in clinical settings, and deaths only occur in pigs in the fetal stage.<ref name=":2" />
== References == {{Reflist}}
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Category:Alphaviruses