Genetic Diversity and Epidemiology of Hantaviruses in Argentina

Abstract

Phylogenetic analysis of a 292-nucleotide (nt) fragment of the hantavirus M genome segment from 36 rodent and 13 human samples from three known foci of hantavirus infection in Argentina was conducted. A 1654-nt fragment of the M genome segment was analyzed for 1 representative of 7 genetically distinct hantavirus lineages identified. Additionally, the nt sequence of the complete M genome segments of Lechiguanas, Oran, and Hu39694 hantavirus genotypes was determined. nt sequence comparisons reveal that 7 hantavirus lineages from Argentina differ from each other by 11.5%-21.8% and from Sin Nombre, Bayou, and Black Creek Canal viruses by 23.8%-26.5%. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that they form a unique, separate branch within the clade containing other New World sigmodontine-borne hantaviruses. Most Oligoryzomys-borne hantavirus genotypes clearly map together. The Oligoryzomys-borne genotypes Lechiguanas, Oran, and Andes appear to be associated with human disease. Oligoryzomys longicaudatus was identified as the likely rodent reservoir for Andes virus.

Prevalence of infection with hantavirus in rodent populations of central Argentina

“…(Table). We preferred to study O. flavescens due to two reasons, one of them was the cost of the molecular analyses, and the other one was the previous result which confirmed the Pergamino genotype in A. azarae (Levis et al 1998). Two additional antibody non reactive O. flavescens were positive for viral detection.…”

“…Calomys laucha was identified as the reservoir of the virus Laguna Negra, the etiologic agent of HPS in Paraguay (Yahnke et al 2001), while three species of Oligoryzomys have been related to hantavirus transmission: O. longicaudatus (in Chile and Southern Argentina), O. chacoensis (in Northern Argentina, Padula et al 2002), and O. flavescens in Central Argentina and Uruguay (Levis et al 1998, González della Valle et al 2002.…”

“…Although three species of the genus Oligoryzomys were identified as associated to hantavirus that caused HPS in Argentina, the reservoirs of two lineages of virus which caused HPS in Buenos Aires (AND Cent Buenos Aires and AND Cent Plata; Martínez et al 2001) have not been identified yet. Moreover, there are two other types of virus, which have not been associated to human disease, until now, were identified from other sigmodontine species inhabiting the Buenos Aires province: Maciel virus (in Necromys obscurus), and Pergamino (in Akodon azarae) (Levis et al 1998).…”

Development and evaluation of a solid-phase enzyme immunoassay based on Andes hantavirus recombinant nucleoprotein

“…The widespread distribution of Andes-related viruses in different rodent species [19] raises the possibility that HPS may well exist undiagnosed in regions of South America beyond its traditionally recognised enzootic boundaries.…”

“…In phylogenetic analysis, all viruses associated with cases of HPS from Argentina [6,19], Chile [20], Paraguay [21] and Uruguay (P. J. Padula, unpublished observations) and sigmodontine-related virus from Bolivia [22,23], clustered together with Andes virus [24] and some North American viruses like Sin Nombre (SN) [2,25], Bayou (BAY) [26] or Black Creek Canal (BCC) [27].…”