title: Adler hantavirus, a new genetic variant of Tula virus identified in Major's pine voles (Microtus majori) sampled in southern European Russia.
abstract: Although at least 30 novel hantaviruses have been recently discovered in novel hosts such as shrews, moles and even bats, hantaviruses (family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus) are primarily known as rodent-borne human pathogens. Here we report on identification of a novel hantavirus variant associated with a rodent host, Major's pine vole (Microtus majori). Altogether 36 hantavirus PCR-positive Major's pine voles were identified in the Krasnodar region of southern European Russia within the years 2008-2011. Initial partial L-segment sequence analysis revealed novel hantavirus sequences. Moreover, we found a single common vole (Microtusarvalis) infected with Tula virus (TULV). Complete S- and M-segment coding sequences were determined from 11 Major's pine voles originating from 8 trapping sites and subjected to phylogenetic analyses. The data obtained show that Major's pine vole is a newly recognized hantavirus reservoir host. The newfound virus, provisionally called Adler hantavirus (ADLV), is closely related to TULV. Based on amino acid differences to TULV (5.6-8.2% for nucleocapsid protein, 9.4-9.5% for glycoprotein precursor) we propose to consider ADLV as a genotype of TULV. Occurrence of ADLV and TULV in the same region suggests that ADLV is not only a geographical variant of TULV but a host-specific genotype. High intra-cluster nucleotide sequence variability (up to 18%) and geographic clustering indicate long-term presence of the virus in this region.
authors.affiliation: Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Evgeniy A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Tkachenko
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Witkowski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Radosa
authors.affiliation: Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Tamara K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Dzagurova
authors.affiliation: Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Nataliya M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Okulova
authors.affiliation: Anti-Plague Stations, Sochi, Russia.
authors.forename: Yulia V
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Yunicheva
authors.affiliation: Anti-Plague Stations, Sochi, Russia.
authors.forename: Ludmila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vasilenko
authors.affiliation: Medical State University, Samara, Russia.
authors.forename: Vyacheslav G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Morozov
authors.affiliation: Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Gennadiy A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Malkin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Detlev H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Krüger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia. Electronic address: boris.klempa@savba.sk.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Klempa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000145:classification / Q000821:virology*; D059038:Black Sea; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D058974:Phylogeography; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D012426:Russia; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Hantavirus; M. majori; Microtus arvalis; Russia; Vole