Genetic diversity of hantaviruses associated with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in the far east of Russia

To identify the hantaviruses causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in the Far East of Russia, blood samples collected from HERS patient s in 1994-1998, were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain rea ction. In addition, 36 sera were tested by an immunofluorescence assay for antibodies against Hantaan,; Seoul, Puumala, and Khabarovsk viruses, and 54 samples were tested by plaque reduction neutralization test. With both ser ological assays, the highest antibody titers were to Hantaan and/or Seoul v iruses. Of 110 blood samples 36 were found RT-PCR positive. Phylogenetic an alysis the sequences of a 256-nucleotide (nt) fragment of the hantavirus M genome segment revealed at least 3 genetically distinct hantavirus lineages . Nucleotide sequence comparison showed that two of the lineages, designate d as FE and Amur (AMR), differed from one another by 15.9-21.2% and from Ha ntaan virus by 9.8-17.5%. The third lineage, VDV, differed from Seoul virus by 2.6-5.1%. All S segment sequences were from FE lineage, and differed fr om Hantaan virus by 10.7-12.6%. Thirty of the 36 (83%) analyzed sequences w ere found to be the FE genotype, which is very similar to that of Hantaan v irus, strain 76-118. Of the remaining hantaviruses, 11% were the AMR genoty pe, and 6% the VDV genotype, which are genetically novel genotypes of Hanta an or Seoul viruses, respectively. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All right s reserved.