Abstract:
Mokola virus (MOKV) appears to be exclusive to Africa. Although the first isolates were from Nigeria and other Congo basin
countries, all reports over the past 20 years have been from southern Africa. Previous phylogenetic studies analyzed few
isolates or used partial gene sequence for analysis since limited sequence information is available for MOKV and the isolates
were distributed among various laboratories. The complete nucleoprotein, phosphoprotein, matrix and glycoprotein genes
of 18 MOKV isolates in various laboratories were sequenced either using partial or full genome sequencing using
pyrosequencing and a phylogenetic analysis was undertaken. The results indicated that MOKV isolates from the Republic of
South Africa, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic and Nigeria clustered according to geographic origin irrespective of the
genes used for phylogenetic analysis, similar to that observed with Lagos bat virus. A Bayesian Markov-Chain-Monte-Carlo-
(MCMC) analysis revealed the age of the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of MOKV to be between 279 and 2034 years
depending on the genes used. Generally, all MOKV isolates showed a similar pattern at the amino acid sites considered
influential for viral properties.
