title: Detection of phylogenetically distinct Puumala-like viruses from red-grey vole Clethrionomys rufocanus in China.
abstract: In order to investigate whether Puumala virus (PUUV) or PUUV-like virus is present in China, Clethrionomys rufocanus and C. rutilus were captured in the Jilin province during the spring and autumn of 2002-2003 for detection of PUUV viral RNA by RT-PCR and confirmation of PUUV-positive antigens by an immunofluorescence assay. PUUV-positive RNA was identified in six out of 121 C. rufocanus but not in any of the 41 C. rutilus. Complete S and partial M sequences (nt 1,316-1,598 and 2,687-3,089) were amplified by RT-PCR directly from some of the antigen positive lung tissues and subjected to nucleic acid sequencing. It was found that the Chinese PUUV-like viruses were related most closely with the PUUV strains with 77.7-81.7% identity at the nucleotide level and 91.7-97% identity at the amino acid level for S segment, and with 77-78.8% identity at the nucleotide level and 91.5-92.6% identity at the amino acid level for the partial M segment (nt 1,316-1,598). Genetic analysis indicated that the Chinese PUUV-like viruses shared the highest level of identity with the viruses which circulate in C. rufocanus in the Far East region of Russia with 85.1-87.4% identity at the nucleotide level and 95.9% identity at the amino acid level for the partial M segment (nt 2,687-3,089), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Chinese PUUV-like viruses are distinct from those identified from Japan, South Korea, Europe or Russia. These results indicate that PUUV-like virus is present in China in addition to Hantaan, Seoul and Dabieshan viruses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hemorrhagic Fever, Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China. yongzhenzhang@sohy.com
authors.forename: Yong-Zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Yan-Zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Guang-Wei
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Lai-Shun
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Zhan-Sheng
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Long-Zhe
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Yao-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ming-Hui
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hua-Xin
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhen F
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000821:virology*; D002681:China; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D029262:Puumala virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D014764:Viral Proteins