Dobrava hantavirus in Estonia: does the virus exist throughout Europe?

Abstract

Hantaviruses cause haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Each hantavirus is maintained in its own natural rodent host, and human beings get infected by inhalation of rodent excreta. 1 Plyusnin A Vapalahti O Vaheri A Hantaviruses: genome structure, expression and evolution. J Gen Virol. 1996; 77: 2677-2687 Crossref PubMed Scopus (345) Google Scholar HPS is caused by Sin Nombre and related viruses, which are carried by sigmodontine rodents endemic in the New World; HFRS is associated with Hantaan (HTN) and Seoul (SEO) viruses in Asia and with Puumala virus in Europe. 1 Plyusnin A Vapalahti O Vaheri A Hantaviruses: genome structure, expression and evolution. J Gen Virol. 1996; 77: 2677-2687 Crossref PubMed Scopus (345) Google Scholar Dobrava (DOB) virus has recently been shown to cause severe HFRS in Slovenia, Albania, Greece, and Bosnia. 2 Avsic-Zupanc T Toney A Anderson K et al. Genetic and antigenic properties of Dobrava virus: a unique member of the Hantavirus genus, family Bunyaviridae.. J Gen Virol. 1995; 76: 2801-2808 Crossref PubMed Scopus (86) Google Scholar , 3 Antoniades A Stylinakis A Papa A et al. Direct detection of Dobrava virus in Greek and Albanian haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) patients. J Infect Dis. 1996; 174: 407-410 Crossref PubMed Scopus (90) Google Scholar , 4 Lundkvist A, Hukic M, Hörling J, et al. Puumala and Dobrava viruses cause haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Bosnia-Herzegovina: evidence of highly cross-neutralising antibody responses in early patient sera. J Med Virol (in press). Google Scholar The prototype DOB strain was isolated from the yellow-necked field mouse, Apodemus flavicollis, in Slovenia.2 Avsic-Zupanc T Toney A Anderson K et al. Genetic and antigenic properties of Dobrava virus: a unique member of the Hantavirus genus, family Bunyaviridae.. J Gen Virol. 1995; 76: 2801-2808 Crossref PubMed Scopus (86) Google Scholar We report detection of DOB genome sequences in the striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius, from Estonia.