Abstract
The discovery of genetically distinct hantaviruses (family Hantaviridae) in multiple species of shrews, moles and bats has revealed a complex evolutionary history involving cross-species transmission. Seewis virus (SWSV) is widely distributed throughout the geographic ranges of its soricid hosts, including the Eurasian common shrew (Sorex araneus), tundra shrew (Sorex tundrensis) and Siberian large-toothed shrew (Sorex daphaenodon), suggesting host sharing. In addition, genetic variants of SWSV, previously named Artybash virus (ARTV) and Amga virus, have been detected in the Laxmann’s shrew (Sorex caecutiens). Here, we describe the geographic distribution and phylogeny of SWSV and Altai virus (ALTV) in Asian Russia. The complete genomic sequence analysis showed that ALTV, also harbored by the Eurasian common shrew, is a new hantavirus species, distantly related to SWSV. Moreover, Lena River virus (LENV) appears to be a distinct hantavirus species, harbored by Laxmann’s shrews and flat-skulled shrews (Sorex roboratus) in Eastern Siberia and far-eastern Russia. Another ALTV-related virus, which is more closely related to Camp Ripley virus from the United States, has been identified in the Eurasian least shrew (Sorex minutissimus) from far-eastern Russia. Two highly divergent viruses, ALTV and SWSV co-circulate among common shrews in Western Siberia, while LENV and the ARTV variant of SWSV co-circulate among Laxmann’s shrews in Eastern Siberia and far-eastern Russia. ALTV and ALTV-related viruses appear to belong to the Mobatvirus genus, while SWSV is a member of the Orthohantavirus genus. These findings suggest that ALTV and ALTV-related hantaviruses might have emerged from ancient cross-species transmission with subsequent diversification within Sorex shrews in Eurasia.
Highlights
In addition to Seewis virus (SWSV), we previously identified a novel highly divergent virus, designated Altai virus (ALTV), in a common shrew captured in August 2007 near Teletskoye Lake, Altai Republic, in Russia [22]
An ALTV-related hantavirus harbored by S. caecutiens, provisionally named Lena River virus (LENV), might represent a distinct hantavirus species
LENV was detected in S. caecutiens and S
Summary
Hantaviruses (family Hantaviridae) are zoonotic pathogens responsible for causing two febrile syndromes, which are characterized by acute renal failure (known as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome) or cardiopulmonary collapse The genome of hantaviruses consists of three negativepolarity, single-stranded RNA segments: small (S), medium (M), and large (L), encoding a nucleocapsid (N) protein, glycoproteins (Gn and Gc), and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, respectively. Apart from examples of a single hantavirus species being harbored by multiple reservoir host species, certain host species are known to serve as reservoirs of more than one hantavirus species [9,16,18].
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