title: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and rodent reservoirs in the savanna-like biome of Brazil's southeastern region.
abstract: This paper describes the diversity of rodent fauna in an area endemic for hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in Brazil, the population dynamics and the relationship of rodents with hantavirus in the Cerrado (savanna-like) biome. Additionally, an analysis is made of the partial S segment sequences of the hantaviruses obtained from serologically confirmed human HCPS cases and from rodent specimens. Rodents were collected during four campaigns. Human serum samples were collected from suspected cases of HCPS at hospitals in the state of Minas Gerais. The samples antibody-reactive by ELISA were processed by RT-PCR. The PCR product was amplified and sequenced. Hantavirus was detected only in Necromys lasiurus, the wild rodent species most prevalent in the Cerrado biome (min-max: 50-83·7%). All the six human serum samples were hantavirus seropositive and five showed amplified PCR products. The analysis of the nucleotide sequences showed the circulation of a single genotype, the Araraquara hantavirus. The environmental changes that have occurred in the Cerrado biome in recent decades have favoured N. lasiurus in interspecific competition of habitats, thus increasing the risk of contact between humans and rodent species infected with hantavirus. Our data corroborate the definition of N. lasiurus as the main hantavirus reservoir in the Cerrado biome.
authors.affiliation: Curso de Saúde Ambiental,Instituto de Geografia,Universidade Federal de Uberlândia,Uberlândia,Brazil.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Limongi
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Hantaviroses,Fundação Oswaldo Cruz,Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Hantaviroses,Fundação Oswaldo Cruz,Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guterres
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios,Fundação Oswaldo Cruz,Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Costa Neto
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Hantaviroses,Fundação Oswaldo Cruz,Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Hantaviroses,Fundação Oswaldo Cruz,Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
authors.forename: L H B
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ixodologia,Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária,Universidade Federal de Uberlândia,Uberlândia,Brazil.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ixodologia,Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária,Universidade Federal de Uberlândia,Uberlândia,Brazil.
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Moléstias Infecciosas,Faculdade de Medicina,Universidade Federal de Uberlândia,Uberlândia,Brazil.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios,Fundação Oswaldo Cruz,Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bonvicino
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios,Fundação Oswaldo Cruz,Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Hantaviroses,Fundação Oswaldo Cruz,Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
authors.forename: E R S
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Lemos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D065948:Grassland; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018804:Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011157:Population Dynamics; D015995:Prevalence; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D012377:Rodentia / Q000502:physiology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins
keywords: Araraquara virus; Necromys lasiurus; Rodentia; hantavirus pulmonary syndrome