BELGRADE VIRUS, A CAUSE OF HEMORRHAGIC-FEVER WITH RENAL SYNDROME IN THE BALKANS, IS CLOSELY-RELATED TO DOBRAVA VIRUS OF FIELD MICE

Belgrade virus is a recently described hantavirus that causes severe h emorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in people living in variou s parts of the Balkan Peninsula. Nucleotide sequencing of the G2-encod ing region in the medium (M) segment of the viral genome, reverse tran scribed and amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, revealed the B elgrade virus to be substantially different from Hantaan virus and oth er major serotypes of hantavirus but identical to Dobrava virus, a vir us isolated from a field mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) in Slovenia. Bel grade virus may be an important cause of HFRS in the Balkan Peninsula, extending north toward the Alps. It poses a special danger to humans who have close contact with field rodents.