Catacamas Virus, a Hantaviral Species Naturally Associated With Oryzomys Couesi (Coues’ Oryzomys) in Honduras

Abstract

Abstract. The primary objective of this study was to extend our knowledge of the geographical distribution, genetic diversity, and natural host associations of the hantaviruses indigenous to North America. Antibody to a hantavirus was found in 5 (20.8%) of 24 Coues' oryzomys (Oryzomys couesi) and none of 41 other rodents captured near the town of Catacamas in eastern Honduras, and a hantavirus was isolated from one of the antibody-positive Coues' oryzomys. Analyses of nucleotide and amino acid sequence data indicated that the viral isolate is a strain of a novel hantaviral species (proposed species name "Catacamas virus") that is phylogenetically most closely related to Bayou virus, a hantaviral species that is principally associated with Oryzomys palustris (marsh oryzomys) in the southeastern United States. Catacamas virus is the first evidence for the occurrence of a hantaviral species in Honduras and the first evidence that a hantaviral species is naturally associated with an Oryzomys species other than O. palustris.

Geographical Range of Rio Mamoré Virus (FamilyBunyaviridae, GenusHantavirus) in Association with the Small-Eared Pygmy Rice Rat (Oligoryzomys microtis)

“…are members of the family Cricetidae, subfamily Sigmodontinae (Musser and Carleton 2005). Alston's cotton rat (S. hispidus) in western Venezuela is the principal host of CADV (Fulhorst et al 1997), the hispid cotton rat in northern Texas is the putative principal host of MULV (Rawlings et al 1996), Coues' rice rat (Oryzomys couesi) in Honduras is the principal host of CATV (Milazzo et al 2006), the fulvous pygmy rice rat (O. fulvescens) in Panama is the principal host of CHOV (Vincent et al 2000), a pygmy rice rat (Oligoryzomys spp.) in western Venezuela is the principal host of MAPV (Fulhorst et al 2004), and as indicated previously, the hispid cotton rat in southern Florida, marsh rice rat in the southeastern United States, and long-tailed pygmy rice rat in Argentina and Chile are the principal hosts of BCCV, BAYV, and ANDV, respectively.…”

“…Provisional species in the genus Hantavirus include Catacamas virus (CATV) (Milazzo et al 2006), Choclo virus (CHOV) (Vincent et al 2000), and Maporal virus (MAPV) (Fulhorst et al 2004).…”

The Delicate Pygmy Rice Rat (Oligoryzomys delicatus) Is the Principal Host of Maporal Virus (FamilyBunyaviridae, GenusHantavirus)

“…Evidence for this ancient relationship includes the association of phylogenetically closely related hantaviral species with phylogenetically closely related, allopatric rodent species. For example, Bayou virus with the marsh oryzomys (Oryzomys palustris) in the southeastern United States (Ksiazek et al 1997), Catacamas virus with Coues' oryzomys (Oryzomys couesi) in Honduras (Milazzo et al 2006), and Playa de Oro virus with the Mexican oryzomys (Oryzomys mexicanus) in western Mexico (Chu et al 2008). …”

Maripa Hantavirus in French Guiana: Phylogenetic Position and Predicted Spatial Distribution of Rodent Hosts

“…18,19 Spillover and host switching could explain the infection of two different species: the ecology and respective reservoir performance of Z. brevicauda and O. fulvescens should be scrutinized. Considering that Z. brevicauda and O. fulvescens have already been identified as competent reservoirs of different hantaviruses 20,21 and that it is now accepted that a single hantavirus strain can infect different rodent species, [22][23][24] our results suggest that Maripa may be present in a rodent's community of diverse sympatric and/or syntopic competence at the same collection site.…”