Geographic distribution and genetic diversity of Whitewater Arroyo virus in the southwestern United States

The purpose of this study was to extend our knowledge of the geographic dis tribution and genetic diversity of the arenavirus(es) associated with Neoto ma species (woodrats) in the southwestern United States. Infectious arenavi rus was recovered from 14 (3.3%) of 425 woodrats. The virus-positive specie s included N. albigula in New Mexico and Oklahoma, N. cinerea in Utah, N. m exicana in New Mexico and Utah, and N. micropus in Texas. Analyses of viral nucleocapsid protein gene sequence data indicated that all the isolates we re strains of the Whitewater Arroyo virus, an arenavirus previously known o nly from northwestern New Mexico. Analyses of the sequence data also indica ted that there can be substantial genetic diversity among strains of Whitew ater Arroyo virus from conspecific woodrats collected from different locali ties and substantial genetic diversity among strains from different woodrat species collected from the same locality.