title: Occurrence of renal and pulmonary syndrome in a region of northeast Germany where Tula hantavirus circulates.
abstract: Hantavirus species Tula (TULV) is carried by European common voles (Microtus spp.). Its pathogenic potential for humans is unknown. In a rural region of northeast Germany, a 43-year-old man became ill with fever, renal syndrome, and pneumonia. Typing of late acute- and convalescent-phase sera by focus reduction neutralization assay revealed the presence of neutralizing antibodies against TULV. Moreover, we detected TULV genetic material in Microtus arvalis animals that were trapped at places only a few kilometers from the home village of the patient. Phylogenetic analysis of completely sequenced genomic S segments from three virus strains grouped them within a third genetic lineage of the TULV species. This is the first case of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and pulmonary involvement which can be associated with TULV infection.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Charité Medical School, Humboldt University, D-10098 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Klempa
authors.forename: Helga
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meisel
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Räth
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartel
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ulrich
authors.forename: Detlev H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Krüger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000821:virology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018804:Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006480:Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000821:virology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA