Genomic
sequencing of the isolated virus revealed that it is closely related to Tembusu virus (a mosquito - borne Ntaya group flavivirus), with 87 — 91 %
nucleotide identity of the
partial E (envelope) proteins to that of Tembusu virus and 72 % of the entire genome coding
sequence with Bagaza virus, the most closely related flavivirus with an entirely
sequenced genome.