Abstract
Objective: Arenavirus is a negative single-stranded RNA virus and an important human pathogen, mainly harbored and transmitted by rodents, causing severe diseases, including hemorrhagic fever and encephalitis. Following the discovery of a novel pathogenic arenavirus (Wenzhou virus, WENV), the prevalence of WENV in local small rodents was investigated. Methods: By using RT-PCR, WENV was screened in 48 and 156 rodents sampled from Wenzhou and Longquan, respectively. Results: Consequently, WENV was detected in 5 (10.41%) rodents sampled from Wenzhou. However, no WENV was identified in all the rodents sampled from Longquan. Genetic analysis of complete genome sequences indicated that 4 of 5 virus strains were closely related to the known Wenzhou viruses with high homology. Especially, the L and S segments of Wencheng-Rn-288 strain shared homology of 87.5% and 91.6% with other viruses, respectively. They formed a distinct lineage, suggesting that this strain might be a novel variant of WENV. Conclusions: Our results indicate that WENV has a high prevalence and high genetic diversity among rodents in Wenzhou. As the respiratory disease caused by WENV has been detected in Cambodia, it is necessary to strengthen the surveillance for WENV in China.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Zhonghua liu xing bing xue za zhi = Zhonghua liuxingbingxue zazhi
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
