LNV's
genome is about 20,700
base pairs in length, and is segmented into 12 parts, with each segment having a major
open reading frame that encodes for proteins VP1–12. VP10, believed to be a
capsid protein, is responsible for determining the
serotype, of which two serotypes have been identified to date. VP1 is most likely the
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, VP3 is likely
guanylyltransferase, a
capping enzyme, VP7 shows similarities to protein
kinases, and VP11 matches the
dsRNA-binding proteins of other seadornaviruses. LNV is unique among seadornaviruses in that it is the only seadornavirus known to replicate in
mammalian cells. The most recent common ancestor of LNV isolates from China is estimated to have been in the year 318. Genetic analysis indicates that LNV populations were relatively stable for centuries but declined significantly in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before growing again starting in the late 1990s. LNV evolves at about the same rate as other dsRNA viruses but at a faster pace than other
arboviruses. Part of LNV's genome is integrated into the
Aedes aegypti genome, indicating that LNV likely originates from Africa, where
Aedes aegypti is from, and didn't leave the continent until the growth of the
shipping industry in the 18th and 19th centuries. ==Symptoms and diagnosis==