Isolation and characterization of Tula virus, a distinct serotype in the genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae.
A Vero E6 cell culture isolate of Tula virus (TUL), a hantavirus first detected in European common voles (Microtus arvalis and M. rossiaemeridionalis) by RT-PCR was obtained after initial passaging of TUL-infected vole lung samples in laboratory-colonized M. arvalis. TUL was defined as a classical serotype by a cross-focus-reduction neutralization test (FRNT) and was also shown to be distinct from other hantaviruses by haemagglutination inhibition assay. The sequences of S, M and partial L genome segments of the isolate were determined: the S segment was 99.9% identical to the original rodent-derived sequence. Serological evidence for a previous TUL infection was obtained from the serum of a blood donor living near a TUL focus in Moravia, Czech Republic, showing at least a 16-fold higher FRNT titre to TUL as compared to Puumala or other hantaviruses.
Vapalahti
O
O
Haartman Institute, Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Finland. Olli.Vapalahti@Helsinki.FL
Lundkvist
A
A
Kukkonen
S K
SK
Cheng
Y
Y
Gilljam
M
M
Kanerva
M
M
Manni
T
T
Pejcoch
M
M
Niemimaa
J
J
Kaikusalo
A
A
Henttonen
H
H
Vaheri
A
A
Plyusnin
A
A
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000821:virology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D011817:Rabbits; D012703:Serotyping; D014709:Vero Cells
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral