Picornaviruses, vaccines and diagnostic kits

Abstract

A new group of picornaviruses is disclosed. The picornaviruses of the invention comprise in the non-coding region of their viral genome a nucleotide sequence which corresponds to cDNA sequence (I) or homologous sequences having at least 75% homology to the SEQ ID NO:1, and they cause mammalian disease. Further aspects of the invention comprise a protein corresponding to a protein of the picornaviruses, antiserum or antibody directed against a protein of the picornaviruses, antigen comprising a protein of the picornaviruses, diagnostic kits, vaccines, use of the picornaviruses in medicaments, particularly for the treatment or prevention of Myocarditis, Cardiomyopathia, Guillain Barré Syndrome, and Diabetes Mellitus, Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Myasthenia Gravis, Amyothrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Dermatomyositis, Polymyositis, Spontaneous Abortion, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and methods of treatment of diseases caused by the picornaviruses. SEQ ID NO: 1 (Ljungan 87-012) (I) AGTCTAGTCT TATCTTGTAT GTGTCCTGCA CTGAACTTGT TTCTGTCTCT 50 GGAGTGCTCT ACACTTCAGT AGGGGCTGTA CCCGGGCGGT CCCACTCTTC 100 ACAGGAATCT GCACAGGTGG CTTTCACCTC TGGACAGTGC ATTCCACACC 150 CGCTCCACGG TAGAAGATGA TGTGTGTCTT TGCTTOTGAA AAGCTTGTGA 200 AAATCGTGTG TAGGCGTAGC GGCTACTTGA GTGCCAGCGO ATTACCCCTA 250 GTGGTAACAC TAGC

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.