Molecular Characterization of the First Ebola Virus Isolated in Italy, from a Health Care Worker Repatriated from Sierra Leone

We obtained the complete genome sequence of the virus isolate (Ebola virus/H. sapiens-tc/SLE/2014/Makona-Italy-INMI1) originating from a health worker evacuated from Sierra Leone to Italy in late November 2014. The virus was isolated on Vero E6 cells. Viral RNA was extracted (Roche) from the first passage; the complete genome was amplified in 45 overlapping fragments with EBOV-specific primers using the One-Step RT-PCR kit (Qiagen). The fragments were sequenced from both ends using Sanger techniques and assembled with the Sequencher software.

 

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