ABSTRACT
Hantavirus genome sequences were recovered from lung tissues of Chinese white-bellied rats (Niviventer confucianus) captured in Yunnan province, China. Pairwise comparison of the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the entire S and partial M and L segments indicated that the newly discovered virus strain, which was designated as strain YN509, was very different from other rodent-borne hantaviruses. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the new strain fit into a clade containing Da Bie Shan virus (DBSV) (also carried by N. confucianus), which is mainly found in Anhui Province in mainland China. Strain YN509 appears to be in a sister taxa of the DBSV group described previously. These data suggest that strain YN509 is a new subtype of DBSV, which appears to be widely distributed in China with a higher genetic diversity than expected.
Subject(s)
Hantavirus Infections/veterinary , Murinae/virology , Orthohantavirus/genetics , Rodent Diseases/virology , Animals , China , Cluster Analysis , Orthohantavirus/isolation & purification , Hantavirus Infections/virology , Lung/virology , Molecular Sequence Data , Phylogeny , RNA, Viral/genetics , Rats , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Sequence Homology, Amino Acid , Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid , Viral Proteins/geneticsABSTRACT
To characterize the strains of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in wild and domestic animals in China, we isolated the organism from rodents and sheep in northeastern China. We isolated 3 strains (2 from rodents and 1 from sick sheep) through propagation in BALB/c mice and then cell culture in HL60 cells. The 3 isolates were identified by Wright-Giemsa staining, immunofluorescence, and electronic microscopy and were characterized by sequence analyses of the 16S rRNA gene, partial citrate synthase gene, major surface protein 4 gene, and heat shock protein gene. The multiple sequences of the 3 isolates were identical to each other but different from all known strains from other countries. The public health and veterinary relevance of the isolates deserves further investigation.
Subject(s)
Anaplasma phagocytophilum/isolation & purification , Ehrlichiosis/veterinary , Rodent Diseases/microbiology , Sheep Diseases/microbiology , Anaplasma phagocytophilum/cytology , Anaplasma phagocytophilum/genetics , Animals , China/epidemiology , Citrate (si)-Synthase/analysis , Citrate (si)-Synthase/genetics , Cricetinae , DNA, Bacterial/genetics , DNA, Bacterial/isolation & purification , Ehrlichiosis/epidemiology , Ehrlichiosis/microbiology , HL-60 Cells , Heat-Shock Proteins/analysis , Heat-Shock Proteins/genetics , Humans , Membrane Proteins/analysis , Membrane Proteins/genetics , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Molecular Sequence Data , Phylogeny , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/analysis , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , Rodent Diseases/epidemiology , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Sheep , Sheep Diseases/epidemiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in small mammals from the forest area of Hengduan Mountains in southwestern China. METHODS: Small mammals captured from Gaoligong and Xianggelila mountainous area of Yunnan province were detected by PCR amplification. The sequences of 16S rRNA and Msp4 gene fragments from positive samples were compared with corresponding sequences deposited in GenBank. RESULTS: A total number of 436 small animals, which belongs to 5 orders 18 genera 35 species were tested, 32 (7.34%) were positive in 6 genera 11 species. There were 8.64% (26/301) positive in 25 species at Goligong mountainous areas, and 4.44% (6/135) were positive in 19 species at the Xianggelila mountainous areas. Positive small mammals were most rodents. The nucleotide sequences of A.phagocytophilum 16S rRNA gene amplified from small mammals varied from 99% - 100% and were 99% - 100% similar with the corresponding segments of A. phagocytophilum from Jilin deposited in GeneBank. The sequences of A. phagocytophilum Msp4 gene showed that there was 95% - 97% similarity with the corresponding sequences registered in GenBank. CONCLUSION: A. phagocytophilum was firstly identified in 6 genera 11 species small mammals from a forest area of Hengduan Mountainous areas in southwestern China. Rodents might serve as the primary hosts indicating the potential risk to the domestic animals and human beings in this area.
