Abstract
BackgroundHemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is highly endemic in mainland China, and has extended from rural areas to cities recently. Beijing metropolis is a novel affected region, where the HFRS incidence seems to be diverse from place to place.Methodology/Principal FindingsThe spatial scan analysis based on geographical information system (GIS) identified three geo-spatial “hotspots” of HFRS in Beijing when the passive surveillance data from 2004 to 2006 were used. The Relative Risk (RR) of the three “hotspots” was 5.45, 3.57 and 3.30, respectively. The Phylogenetic analysis based on entire coding region sequence of S segment and partial L segment sequence of Seoul virus (SEOV) revealed that the SEOV strains circulating in Beijing could be classified into at least three lineages regardless of their host origins. Two potential recombination events that happened in lineage #1 were detected and supported by comparative phylogenetic analysis. The SEOV strains in different lineages and strains with distinct special amino acid substitutions for N protein were partially associated with different spatial clustered areas of HFRS.Conclusion/SignificanceHotspots of HFRS were found in Beijing, a novel endemic region, where intervention should be enhanced. Our data suggested that the genetic variation and recombination of SEOV strains was related to the high risk areas of HFRS, which merited further investigation.
Highlights
Hantaviruses are rodent-borne pathogens with a worldwide distribution
The genome consists of three segments, designated as large (L), medium (M), and small (S). They respectively encoded the RNA polymerase, the glycoprotein precursor (GPC) protein that is processed into 2 separate envelope glycoproteins (Gn and Gc), and the nucleocapsid (N) protein [1,2,3,4]
The Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) incidence has increased recently and the morbidity seemed to be considerably diverse in different areas in Beijing, the capital of China
Summary
Hantaviruses are rodent-borne pathogens with a worldwide distribution. More than 50 hantaviruses have been found in the world [1,2,3], each of which appears to have coevolved with a specific rodent or insectivore host [4]. The genome consists of three segments, designated as large (L), medium (M), and small (S) They respectively encoded the RNA polymerase, the glycoprotein precursor (GPC) protein that is processed into 2 separate envelope glycoproteins (Gn and Gc), and the nucleocapsid (N) protein [1,2,3,4]. As nucleoproteins of many negative-strand RNA viruses, hantaviral N protein is a multifunctional molecule involved in various interactions during the life cycle of the virus. It has important functions in the viral RNA replication, encapsidation and in the virus assembly [5]. Beijing metropolis is a novel affected region, where the HFRS incidence seems to be diverse from place to place
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