The Molecular Epidemiology Investigation Of HV On The Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island

Objectives Investigating the species diversity of small mammals and the prevalence of Hantavirus(HV) in the Chinese part of the Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island will provide scientific basis for Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome’s(HFRS) prevention and control and facilitate pathogen screening of natural focal disease existing in the island.Methods Small mammals were trapped using baited cages set in the evening and checked in the morning after a trapping night, initially classified by morphology. Nucleic acids(DNA and RNA) were extracted from lungtissues. Mitochondrial cytochrome b(mtcyt b) gene sequences were amplified by PCR using DNA, and sequencing. The sequences of hantavirus were amplified by RT-PCR using RNA, and sequencing. Identity and phylogenetic analyses were performed using sequences obtained in this study and those from Gen Bank.Results 1 374 mammals, representing 2 orders, 4 families, 6 genera, 9 species, were collected in which Apodemus agrariu and Myodes rutilus were the dominant species. The species identification based on morphological characters was in accordance with that based on molecular method. Each species had high homology, about 95%. The phylogeographic analysis revealed that Sorex roboratus, Apodemus peninsulae, Microtus fortis, Microtus maximowiczii had the obvious geographic clustering while Sorex caecutiens, A. agrarius,Rattus norvegicus, M. rutilus, Tamias sibiricus did not. 2 This study we detected 15 parts of hantaviral RNA from all samples, and respectively were Kenkeme virus(KKMV),Khabarovsk virus(KHAV), Hantaan virus(HTNV) from S. roboratus, M. maximowiczii,A. agrarius, then obtained complete viral genome sequences including the S, M and L segments. Genetic analysis and phylogenetic analysis indicated that the sequences from the flat-skulled shrew were most closely related to the sequence which was first identified in one flat-skulled shrew captured in Yakutsk, Russia, suggesting that the virus represents a novel subtype of KKMV; the virus from M. maximowiczii were most closely related to those of known KHAV strains identified previously in Khabarovsk(Russia) and Yakeshi(China), and maybe a new lineage of KHAV; these HTNV sequences were closest to those of lineage I of HNTV especially to those strains(AA1028, Bao14, CJAp93, HTN261).Conclusions In the Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island, small mammals can carry many pathogens of natural focal diseases. With the development of travel in the region,personnel exchanges are more frequent, increasing the risk of the spread of infectious diseases. Hantavirus biodiversity is an important‘hot-spot’in the Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island. HTNV variant is one of the predominant etiologic agents of HFRS in northeastern China. M. maximowiczii are a natural reservoir of KHAV. KKMV represents a new subspecies first discovered in China. This study provides a scientific basis for the development of the Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island, and has important guiding significance for the prevention and control of disease.