The Ruhugu virus, scientifically known as ''Rubivirus ruteetense'', is a type of virus that falls under the Rubivirus genus. It was first identified in 2019 within unaffected bats from

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

. This virus is classified within the Matonaviridae family and consists of a single-stranded

RNA Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule that is essential for most biological functions, either by performing the function itself (non-coding RNA) or by forming a template for the production of proteins (messenger RNA). RNA and deoxyrib ...

with a positive polarity. It is encapsulated by an icosahedral capsid.

Discovery and habitat

Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ruhugu virus was detected in disease-free Cyclops roundleaf bats residing in

Kibale National Park Kibale 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 landsca ...

, Uganda. This discovery was made during a search for

coronaviruses 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 comm ...

present in bat populations.

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 Rubella virus (RuV) is the pathogenic agent of the disease rubella, transmitted only between humans via the respiratory route, and is the main cause of congenital rubella syndrome when infection occurs during the first weeks of pregnancy. Rube ...

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 Rubivirus