Partial Sequence Analysis of Puumala Virus M Segment from Bats in Korea

Hantavirus is a genus of the Bunyaviridae family causing two serious diseases, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Puumala virus is a member of hantavirus originally found in Europe, and its natural reservoir is Clethrionomys glareolus. It is also associated with the hurnan disease nephropathia epidemica, a milder form of HFRS. To identify the hantaviruses in bats, bats were collected from Jeong-Sun, Won-Joo, Chung-Ju and Hwa-Cheon area in Korea, and nested RT-PCR was performed with serotype specific primer from M segment. Interestingly, Puumala virus was detected in bats (Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum) only from Won-Joo. The 327 bp nested RT-PCR product, was sequenced. The sequence database search indicates that the sequence is homologous to the published sequence of Puumala viruses. The sequence similarities were ranged from 71% to 97%. The highest sequence similarity was 97% with Puumala virus Vranicam strain, and the lowest was 71% with Puumala virus K27 isolate. Puumala virus Vranicam strain was isolated from a bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) in Bosnia-Hercegovina. Puumala virus K27 was isolated from human in Russia. This analysis confirms that bats (Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum) in Korea are natural reservoir of Puumala virus.

Detection of Puumala and Hantaan Viruses among Bats in Korea by Nested RT-PCR

Hantavirus is a genus of the Bunyaviridae family consisting following serotype groups: Hantaan, Seoul, Puumala, Prospect Hill, Thailand, Belgrade, Thotta palayam, Sin Hombre. Most of Hantavirus group have been associated with many clinically similar disease known collectively as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Hantaan virus is the prototype of the genus hantavirus, originally isolated from Apodemus agrarius. Bat was found as a natural host for Hantaan virus in Lee's lab for the first time. Then, Hantaan-like virus was isolated Hantaan-like virus from bat. To identify hantaviruses that are present in Korea among bats, bats were collected from Jeong-Sun, Won-Joo, Chung-Ju and Hwa-Cheon area, RNA was isolated from lung and serum. RT-PCR was performed with a universal primer from M segment. Nested RT-PCR was carried out to differentiate Hantaan, Seoul and Puumala virus using serotype specific primers. As we expected, Hantaan viruses were detected in bats and Seoul virus was not detected. Interestingly, Puumala viruses were also detected in bats from won-Ju, but not in other areas. Puumala virus is originally isolated from Clethrinomys glareolus, and cause light HFRS. Recently, Paradoxomis webbiana, a wild bird turn out to be a reservoir for Puumala virus in Korea. These data indicate that bat is a new natural reservoir of Puumala virus.

Hantaanvirus Detection as Etiological Agents Among Bats and Apodemus agrarius in Korea by RT - PCR and IFA / 대한면역학회지

No abstract available.

Seroepidemiologic Analysis and Antigen Detection from Patients with Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome / 감염

BACKGROUND: Hantaan (HTN) and Seoul (SEO) viruses, harbored by the striped-field mouse(Apodemus agrarius) and the Norway or common rat (Rattus rattus & Rattus norvegicus), respectively, were known to cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS) in Korea. We evaluated the seroepidemiologic patterns of hantaviral infections and detect the hantaviral antigens from patients' sera. METHODS: Total 8,102 HFRS patients' sera were collected from 1994 to 1996, and examined by indirect immunofluorescent antibody technique (IFA), hemagglutination inhibition test (HI), IgM emzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IgM-ELISA) and nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). RESULTS: The seropositive rate against hantaviral antigen was 12.0% (973/8102) with the high incidence rate (68.3%) in the period from October to January, and males in the thirties were mostly affected. HTN viral infections were detected 3.5 and 5.2 times higher than SEO viral infections by HI and RT-PCR, respectively, and patients in the fifties were the mostly affected age-group in SEO viral infections, IgM antibodies were detected in the 717 sera of the 905 IFA positive cases (79.2%), and the antigen detection rate of HTN and SEO viruses was 7.7% (56/724). Interestingly, 40 sera (4.4%), showed higher antibody titers against the Puumala (PUU) virus than those against HTN or SEO viruses. CONCLUSION: The results showed HTN and SEO viruses were the main causative agents of HFRS in Korea, and also suggested the possible presence of PUU-related hantaviral infections.