URINE-ASSOCIATED HORIZONTAL TRANSMISSION OF SEOUL VIRUS AMONG RATS

To understand the mode of transmission of Seoul type hantavirus in Wis tar rats, we examined the shedding of the virus and antibody productio n in infected rats. When 1-day-old rats were inoculated with KI-83-262 strain of Seoul virus, the S segment of the viral genome was detected in lungs, clots, urine, saliva, submaxillary glands, rectums, and-kid neys by nested reverse transcriptase PCR. On the other hand, when 8-we ek-old rats were infected with the virus, viral genome was detected on ly in the lungs and rectum. In uninfected newborn rats intranasally ad ministered urine from infected newborn rats, four of six rats shed the virus into their urine. In addition, three of eight rats kept in a sa me cage with infected animals also shed the virus into urine. Moreover , the virus genome was detected in the urine of urban rats (Rattus nor vegicus) in an enzootic focus. These findings suggest that the urine c ontaining virus from infected rats is an actual source of Seoul virus infection.