The discovery of Bungowannah virus – an example of the need for conventional and new technologies

Abstract

A novel disease in pigs and another new virus – so where is the flying fox connection? This was one of the first questions that many observers asked from the sidelines. In this instance there was no known connection with flying foxes, no suggestion of human illness but, as the investigation unravelled, a probable cause was identified – an apparently new virus that had close connections to an important pig pathogen that is exotic to Australia. This virus was, however, so genetically different from its relatives that pan reactive polymerase chain reaction-based assays would not detect it. It was so different antigenically that pan reactive monoclonal antibody panels would react with it. Nevertheless, a combination of simple agar gel immunodiffusion tests for antibodies and sophisticated nucleic acid amplification and sequencing methods proved to be the keys to the recognition of this virus.