title: Hantaviruses in Finnish soricomorphs: evidence for two distinct hantaviruses carried by Sorex araneus suggesting ancient host-switch.
abstract: Hantaviruses are emerging viruses carried by rodents, soricomorphs (shrews and moles) and bats. In Finland, Puumala virus (PUUV) was for years the only hantavirus detected. In 2009, however, Seewis virus (SWSV) was reported from archival common shrew (Sorex araneus) samples collected in 1982 in Finland. To elucidate the diversity of hantaviruses in soricomorphs in Finland, 180 individuals were screened, representing seven species captured from 2001 to 2012: hantavirus RNA was screened using RT-PCR, and hantaviral antigen using immunoblotting with polyclonal antibodies raised against truncated SWSV nucleocapsid protein. The overall hantavirus RNA prevalence was 14% (26/180), antigen could be demonstrated in 9 of 20 SWSV RT-PCR positive common shrews. Genetic analyses revealed that four soricomorph-borne hantaviruses circulate in Finland, including Boginia virus (BOGV) in water shrew (Neomys fodiens) and Asikkala virus (ASIV) in pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus). Interestingly, on two study sites, common shrews harbored strains of two different hantaviruses: Seewis virus and a new distinct, genetically distant (identity 57% at amino acid level) virus (Altai-like virus) which clusters together with viruses in the basal phylogroup I of hantaviruses with 62-67% identity at amino acid level. This is the first evidence of coexistence of two clearly distinct hantavirus species circulating simultaneously in one host species population. The findings suggest an ancient host-switching event from a yet unknown host to S. araneus. In addition, phylogenetic analyses of partial S and M segment sequences showed that SWSV in Finland represents a unique genotype in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Jiaxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: tarja.sironen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sironen
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa, Finland.
authors.forename: Liina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Voutilainen
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Satu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hepojoki
authors.affiliation: Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa, Finland.
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niemimaa
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Veli-Matti
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Isoviita
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Virology and Immunology, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaheri
authors.affiliation: Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa, Finland.
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Henttonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Virology and Immunology, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland; Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Olli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vapalahti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D007312:Eulipotyphla / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D005387:Finland; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005843:Geography; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012788:Shrews / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D045303:Cytochromes b
keywords: Evolution; Hantavirus; Soricomorpha