A Study of Australian Arboviruses Resembling Bluetongue Virus

Abstract

Five Australian arboviruses, D'Aguilar, Eubenangee, Corriparta, and two as yet unnamed isolates Ch9935 and MRMI0434 were studied by thin-section and negative-contrast electron microscopy and were found to be very similar in both morphology and morphogenesis. In thin section they had an extremely electrondense core surrounded by a less dense capsid. All developed in association with a fibrillogranular intracytoplasmic matrix and to varying degrees were released as either enveloped or unenveloped particles from the infected cell. The diameters of enveloped and non-enveloped particles were 100-104 and 66-67 nm respectively. Negatively stained particles exhibited a surface capsomer structure.