[Surveillance on natural infection of rodents with hantavirus in Shenzhen city and identification of a hantavirus strain SZ2083].
OBJECTIVE
For clarifying the situation of the natural infection of rodents having hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) virus and to type Hantavirus (HV) using molecular technique in Shenzhen city in 2005, and offering guidance for prevention and control of HFRS.


METHODS
Data on the host animals was collected from the city of Shenzhen. ELISA and indirect immunofluorscent antibody(IFA) test were applied to the specific antibodies against HV in the sera of captured rats. Direct immunofluorscece assay was adopted to determine HFRS antigens and the lung tissues of the HV infected rats were inoculated into Meriones unguiculata to isolate HV. The whole viral RNA was extracted from the lung tissues of the HV infected rats and amplified the partial M fragments with RT-nested-PCR, using the HV genotype specific primers. The amplified genes were then sequenced, and subjected to genotyping and homology analysis.


RESULTS
472 rodents were captured from Shenzhen in 2005. Surveillance on rats demonstrated 9.96% rats carrying HV (with a density of 8.25%) and the main host was Rattus norvegicus. In the blood samples of rats, anti-HV IgG antibodies were detectable in 56 cases by IFA, and proved to be positive in 76 cases by ELISA. We successfully isolated a HV strain designated as SZ2083 from Rattus norvegicus for the first time in Shenzhen and was identified to SEO type by RT-nested-PCR. Compared with the coding region of the M gene of HV L99 virus strain, the homologies of nucleotide among them were 97%, but the homology was 76% of the SZ2083 with HTN 76-118 virus strain.


CONCLUSIONS
Results showed the existence of natural epidemic areas of HFRS in Shenzhen city. Based on the results of sequencing, it is possible that the Seoul strain of HV might be the predominant serotype of virus harbored.
Yang
Fan
F
Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518020, China.
Guli
Bahaer
B
Liu
Jian-jun
JJ
Yang
Hong
H
Zhang
Xiao-lan
XL
He
Jian-fan
JF
Liang
Zhuo-nan
ZN
Zhang
Shun-xiang
SX
Yao
Ping-ping
PP
Weng
Jing-qing
JQ
He
Ya-qing
YQ
D000818:Animals; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002947:Cities; D003625:Data Collection; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005838:Genotype; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D051381:Rats / Q000821:virology; D012377:Rodentia / Q000821:virology