title: Natural host relationships and genetic diversity of rodent-associated hantaviruses in southeastern Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hantaviruses are rodent-borne RNA viruses that have caused hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome in several Brazilian regions. In the present study, geographical distribution, seroprevalence, natural host range, and phylogenetic relations of rodent-associated hantaviruses collected from seven counties of Southeastern Brazil were evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  ELISA, RT-PCR and phylogenetic analysis were used in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antibodies to hantavirus were detected in Bolomys lasiurus, Akodon sp. and Oligoryzomys sp., performing an overall seroprevalence of 5.17%. All seropositive rodents were associated with grasslands or woods surrounded by sugar cane fields. Phylogenetic analysis of partial S- and M-segment sequences showed that viral sequences isolated from B. lasiurus specimens clustered with Araraquara virus. However, a sequence from Akodon sp. shared 100% similarity with Argentinian/Chilean viruses based on the partial S-segment amino acid sequence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that there are associations between rodent reservoirs and hantaviruses in some regions of Southeastern Brazil, and suggest the existence of additional hantavirus genetic diversity and host ecology in these areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences, School of Zootechny and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil. rlmoros@usp.br
authors.forename: Ricardo Luiz Moro
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.forename: Marcos Lázaro
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Moreli
authors.forename: Alessandra Abel
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Gelse Mazzoni
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Márcia Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Livonesi
authors.forename: Luiz Tadeu Moraes
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: Aramis Augusto
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Pinto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D016205:Sigmodontinae / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral