title: Hantaan virus surveillance targeting small mammals at nightmare range, a high elevation military training area, Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea.
abstract: Rodent-borne disease surveillance was conducted at Nightmare Range (NM-R), near the demilitarized zone in northeast Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea, to identify hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) risks for a mountainous high-elevation (500 m) military training site. Monthly surveys were conducted from January 2008-December 2009. A total of 1,720 small mammals were captured belonging to the Orders Rodentia [Families, Sciuridae (1 species) and Muridae (7 species)] and Soricomorpha [Family, Soricidae (1species)]. Apodemus agrarius, the primary reservoir for Hantaan virus (HTNV), accounted for 89.9% (1,546) of all small mammals captured, followed by Myodes regulus (4.0%), Crocidura lasiura (3.9%), Micromys minutus (1.4%), Mus musculus (0.3%), Microtus fortis (0.2%), Apodemus peninsulae (0.2%), Tamias sibiricus (0.1%), and Rattus norvegicus (<0.1%). Three species were antibody-positive (Ab+) for hantaviruses: A. agrarius (8.2%), M. minutus (4.2%), and C. lasiura (1.5%). HTNV specific RNA was detected in 93/127 Ab+ A. agrarius, while Imjin virus specific RNA was detected in 1/1 Ab+ C. lasiura. Overall, hantavirus Ab+ rates for A. agrarius increased with weight (age) and were significantly higher among males (10.9%) than females (5.1%) (P<0.0001). High A. agrarius gravid rates during the fall (August-September) were associated with peak numbers of HFRS cases in Korea that followed high gravid rates. From 79 RT-PCR positive A. agrarius, 12 HTNV RNA samples were sequenced and compared phylogenetically based on a 320 nt sequence from the GC glycoprotein-encoding M segment. These results demonstrate that the HTNV isolates from NM-R are distinctly separated from HTNV isolated from the People's Republic of China. These studies provide for improved disease risk assessments that identify military activities, rodent HTNV rates, and other factors associated with the transmission of hantaviruses during field training exercises.
authors: Force Health Protection and Preventive Medicine, 65th Medical Brigade/US Army MEDDAC-Korea, Unit 15281, APO AP 96205-528, United States of America.
authors: Terry A
authors: TA
authors: Klein
authors: 5th Medical Detachment, 168th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 65th Medical Brigade, Unit 15247, APO AP 96205-5247, United States of America.
authors: Heung-Chul
authors: HC
authors: Kim
authors: 5th Medical Detachment, 168th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 65th Medical Brigade, Unit 15247, APO AP 96205-5247, United States of America.
authors: Sung-Tae
authors: ST
authors: Chong
authors: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Science & Food Safety, Korea University, 126-1, 5-ga, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-705, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jeong-Ah
authors: JA
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Science & Food Safety, Korea University, 126-1, 5-ga, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-705, Republic of Korea.
authors: Sook-Young
authors: SY
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Science & Food Safety, Korea University, 126-1, 5-ga, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-705, Republic of Korea.
authors: Won-Keun
authors: WK
authors: Kim
authors: 5th Medical Detachment, 168th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 65th Medical Brigade, Unit 15247, APO AP 96205-5247, United States of America.
authors: Peter V
authors: PV
authors: Nunn
authors: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Science & Food Safety, Korea University, 126-1, 5-ga, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-705, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jin-Won
authors: JW
authors: Song
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D018063:Hantaan virus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006480:Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D009115:Muridae / Q000821:virology*; D051381:Rats; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012589:Sciuridae / Q000821:virology*; D012788:Shrews / Q000821:virology*