Biomaterial Database

Identification of a novel hantavirus strain in the root vole (Microtus oeconomus) in Lithuania, Eastern Europe. 2021

Stephan Drewes, and Kathrin Jeske, and Petra Straková, and Linas Balčiauskas, and René Ryll, and Laima Balčiauskienė, and David Kohlhause, and Guy-Alain Schnidrig, and Melanie Hiltbrunner, and Aliona Špakova, and Rasa Insodaitė, and Rasa Petraitytė-Burneikienė, and Gerald Heckel, and Rainer G Ulrich

Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.

Hantaviruses are zoonotic pathogens that can cause subclinical to lethal infections in humans. In Europe, five orthohantaviruses are present in rodents: Myodes-associated Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV), Microtus-associated Tula orthohantavirus, Traemmersee hantavirus (TRAV)/ Tatenale hantavirus (TATV)/ Kielder hantavirus, rat-borne Seoul orthohantavirus, and Apodemus-associated Dobrava-Belgrade orthohantavirus (DOBV). Human PUUV and DOBV infections were detected previously in Lithuania, but the presence of Microtus-associated hantaviruses is not known. For this study we screened 234 Microtus voles, including root voles (Microtus oeconomus), field voles (Microtus agrestis) and common voles (Microtus arvalis) from Lithuania for hantavirus infections. This initial screening was based on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeting the S segment and serological analysis. A novel hantavirus was detected in eight of 79 root voles tentatively named "Rusne virus" according to the capture location and complete genome sequences were determined. In the coding regions of all three genome segments, Rusne virus showed high sequence similarity to TRAV and TATV and clustered with Kielder hantavirus in phylogenetic analyses of partial S and L segment sequences. Pairwise evolutionary distance analysis confirmed Rusne virus as a strain of the species TRAV/TATV. Moreover, we synthesized the entire nucleocapsid (N) protein of Rusne virus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We observed cross-reactivity of antibodies raised against other hantaviruses, including PUUV, with this new N protein. ELISA investigation of all 234 voles detected Rusne virus-reactive antibodies exclusively in four of 79 root voles, all being also RNA positive, but not in any other vole species. In conclusion, the detection of Rusne virus RNA in multiple root voles at the same trapping site during three years and its absence in sympatric field voles suggests root voles as the reservoir host of this novel virus. Future investigations should evaluate host association of TRAV, TATV, Kielder virus and the novel Rusne virus and their evolutionary relationships.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008097	Lithuania	Country in eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia, west of Belarus. The capital is Vilnius.
D003411	Arvicolinae	A subfamily of MURIDAE found nearly world-wide and consisting of about 20 genera. Voles, lemmings, and muskrats are members.	Clethrionomys,Cricetidae,Dicrostonyx,Lemmings,Lemmus,Mice, Red-Backed,Microtinae,Microtus,Muskrats,Ondatra,Voles,Arvicolines,Microtines,Mouse, Red-Backed,Myodes,Ondatra zibethicus,Arvicoline,Lemming,Mice, Red Backed,Microtine,Mouse, Red Backed,Muskrat,Red-Backed Mice,Red-Backed Mouse,Vole
D006476	Orthohantavirus	A genus of the family BUNYAVIRIDAE causing HANTAVIRUS INFECTIONS, first identified during the Korean war. Infection is found primarily in rodents and humans. Transmission does not appear to involve arthropods. HANTAAN VIRUS is the type species.	Dobrava-Belgrade Virus,Hantavirus,Andes Hantavirus,Andes Virus,Andes Hantaviruses,Dobrava Belgrade Virus,Hantavirus, Andes,Hantaviruses,Hantaviruses, Andes,Orthohantaviruses
D000073336	Whole Genome Sequencing	Techniques to determine the entire sequence of the GENOME of an organism or individual.	Complete Genome Sequencing,Genome Sequencing, Complete,Genome Sequencing, Whole,Sequencing, Complete Genome,Sequencing, Whole Genome
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013045	Species Specificity	The restriction of a characteristic behavior, anatomical structure or physical system, such as immune response; metabolic response, or gene or gene variant to the members of one species. It refers to that property which differentiates one species from another but it is also used for phylogenetic levels higher or lower than the species.	Species Specificities,Specificities, Species,Specificity, Species
D015995	Prevalence	The total number of cases of a given disease in a specified population at a designated time. It is differentiated from INCIDENCE, which refers to the number of new cases in the population at a given time.	Period Prevalence,Point Prevalence,Period Prevalences,Point Prevalences,Prevalence, Period,Prevalence, Point,Prevalences
D016679	Genome, Viral	The complete genetic complement contained in a DNA or RNA molecule in a virus.	Viral Genome,Genomes, Viral,Viral Genomes
D018778	Hantavirus Infections	Infections with viruses of the genus ORTHOHANTAVIRUS. This is associated with at least four clinical syndromes: HEMORRHAGIC FEVER WITH RENAL SYNDROME caused by viruses of the Hantaan group; a milder form of HFRS caused by SEOUL VIRUS; nephropathia epidemica caused by PUUMALA VIRUS; and HANTAVIRUS PULMONARY SYNDROME caused by SIN NOMBRE VIRUS.	Orthohantavirus Infections,Infections, Hantavirus,Hantavirus Infection,Infections, Orthohantavirus,Orthohantavirus Infection