PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - I.P. Adams
AU  - L.A. Braidwood
AU  - F. Stomeo
AU  - N. Phiri
AU  - B. Uwumukiza
AU  - B. Feyissa
AU  - G. Mahuku
AU  - A. Wangi
AU  - J. Smith
AU  - R. Mumford
AU  - N. Boonham
TI  - Characterising maize viruses associated with maize lethal necrosis symptoms in sub Saharan Africa
AID  - 10.1101/161489
DP  - 2017 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 161489
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/07/14/161489.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/07/14/161489.full
AB  - Maize lethal necrosis disease (MLN) is an emerging disease in East Africa caused by the introduction of Maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV). Recent activity seeking to limit spread of the disease is reliant on effective diagnostics. Traditional diagnostics applied on samples with typical field symptoms of MLN have often given negative results using ELISA or PCR for MCMV and Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV). Samples collected in the field with typical MLN symptoms were examined using next generation sequencing (NGS). SCMV was found to be more prevalent than suggested by targeted diagnostics. Additionally, the panel of samples were found to be infected with a range of other viruses, seven of which are described here for the first time. Although not previously identified in the region, Maize yellow mosaic virus (MYMV) was the most prevalent virus after MCMV. The development of targeted diagnostics for emerging viruses is complicated when the extent of field variation is unknown, something that can be negated by using NGS methods. As a result we explored MinION technology which may be more readily deployable in resource poor settings. The results show that this sequencer can diagnose known viruses and future iterations have the potential to identify novel viruses.