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

• Main Authors: Drewes, Stephan, Jeske, Kathrin, Straková, Petra, Balciauskas, Linas, Ryll, René, Balciauskiene, Laima, Kohlhause, David, Schnidrig, Guy-Alain, Hiltbrunner, Melanie, Špakova, Aliona, Insodaite, Rasa, Petraityte-Burneikiene, Rasa, Heckel, Gerald, Ulrich, Rainer G.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Elsevier 2021
• Subjects: 570 Life sciences; biology; Tula; Microtus arvalis
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.48350/164200; https://boris.unibe.ch/164200/

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 ...