ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the epidemiological features of hantavirus in rodents in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. METHODS: Rodents were captured in Wenzhou, where hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) had been endemic. Hantavirus antigens in the rat lungs were detected by immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Partial S segment (nt 620-999) and partial M segment (nt 2001-2301) sequences were amplified by RT-PCR, and then sequenced. Neighbor-joining method was used to construct for phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 96 rodents were trapped in the epidemic areas, and 6 hantavirus antigens were identified from these lung samples (6.3%). Partial S and partial M segment sequences were successfully recovered from 5 samples and determined. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences indicated that all viruses belonged to Seoul virus (SEOV), regardless of the sources (Rattus norvegicus, Rattus tanezumi and Rattus rattoide) that they were derived. However, the clustering pattern in the partial S-tree was different from that in the partial M-tree, suggesting that the re-assortment between SEOVs had occurred. CONCLUSION: All Rattus rats carried SEOV in Wenzhou and the genetic reassortment with SEOV had occurred naturally.
