RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand molecular characteristics of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) isolated from the major Japanese encephalitis epidemic areas in Sichuan Province, and to provide the foundation for JEV prevention.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>13 JEV strains were isolated from mosquitoes in Sichuan during 2007-2010, E genes and preM genes were sequenced and phylogenetic analyses were performed using MEGA5 molecular software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all 13 JEV strains from Sichuan belonged to genotype I, homologies at nucleotide level and deduced amino acid level in PreM gene were 97%-100% and 98.7%-100%, and 97.8%-99.9% and 99.6%-100% in E gene, respectively. Homologies at nucleotide level and deduced amino acid level in PreM gene between 13 JEV strains and JEV isolated in 2004 in Sichuan were 96.2%-99.1% and 97.5%-98.7%, and were 97.7%-99.6% and 98. 6%-100% in E gene, respectively. By comparison with vaacine strains P3 and SA14-14-2, homologies at nucleotide level and deduced amino acid level were 84.1%-85.8% and 93.7%-96.2% in PreM gene, and were 87.6%-88.3% and 97%-97.8% in E gene, respectively. The neurovirulence-related 8 amino acid sites encode by E gene remained unchanged in 13 JEV strains.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>JEV with genotype I predominated in Sichuan, nucleotide sequences and deduced amino acid sequences in PreM gene and E gene were highly conserved, key neurovirulence-rerlated sites remained unchanged. It suggested currently used vaccine is still capable of preventing JEV infection.</p>