Investigation And Research On Seroprevalence Of Wenzhou Virus

Arenaviruses are enveloped,single-stranded RNA virus.The primary hosts of the known arenaviruses are rodents.Several arenaviruses have been assocated with huaman diseases,and the main symptoms are heamorrhagic fever and meningitis.For example,in Western Africa,Lassa virus(LASV)infection causes an etimated 100,000 to 300,000 infections and approximately 5000 deaths annually.In Argentina,Junin virus(JUNV)causes seasonal outbreaks of viral heamorrihagic fever.To date,the only two arenaviruses that have been described in Asia are lymphocytic choriomengitis virus(LCMV)and Wenzhou viurs,which was identified in 2015.WENV is a noval arenavirus,and which can also be recognized as the second virus species within the genus Arenaviras since 1930s.The latest research showed that WENV RNA was detected in the respiratory specimens of Cambodian patients,who presented with mild or more severe respiratory symptoms.However,it is not clear that if WENV could cause interspecies transmission resulting in human illness.Here we established a competitive ELISA method to analyze the antigenic relationships between nucleocapsid proteins(N proteins)of WENV and LCMV.Further,we evaluated the serum epidemiology of WENV in the healthy population by detecting the IgG antibodies against N proteins.Meanwhile,we tested WENV RNA of the respiratory samples derived from the patients who had acute lower respiratory infections by a nested RT-PCR method.Our results suggest that WENV and LCMV share cross-reactive epitopes between their N proteins.Then anti-WENV IgG antibodies were detected in 830 serum samples from healthy individuals.A total of 32/830(3.86%)seram samples were positive for WENV.The seroprevalence rates in children group is 1.5%,and 0%,0%?2.9%,2.2%in 0?0.5,0.5?2,2?5,5?14 age group respectively.In adults group,the seroprevalence rate is 2.4%,and 3.6%,5.4%,4.1%in 15-44,45?59,?60 age group respectively.However,we did not detect WENV RNA positive sample in 1000 acute lower respiratory infection samples by the RT-PCRIn addition,we tested 1000 respiratory samples by RT-PCR,no trace of WENV RNA was detected.To sum up,when we test the specific IgG against WENV,the interference from LCMV N protein should not be ignored.Among serum samples from the healty people WENV IgG appeared in some of them,indicating that we raise awareness of prevention and control on WENV.Although no WENV RNA was detected in the respiratory specimens,it may be associated with the low infection rate and distribution features of WENV,as well as the nucleic acid sample origin.This research provides an experimental basis for understanding the interspecies transmission of WENV and relvant serological investigations.