Hantaviruses in small mammals and humans in the coastal region of Zhejiang Province, China

Abstract

To gain more insights into the epidemiology of hantaviruses in the coastal region of Zhejiang Province, China, the morbidity and mortality of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) were analyzed in two coastal areas: Cixi (hilly terrain) and Wenzhou (mountainous terrain). More HFRS cases have been reported in Cixi than in Wenzhou. Annual incidence rate of HFRS in Cixi had been on the level of approximately 1.5/100,000 from 1968 (when the first HFRS case was reported) to 2007, with the highest incidence rate of 8.54/100,000 in 1999. The annual incidence rate in Wenzhou has been relatively low, less than 0.5/100,000 since the first HFRS case was reported in 1981. A total of 461 rodents and 199 shrews were captured in these two areas. Hantavirus antibodies were detected in 16 of 241 (6.64%) Rattus norvegicus and 13 of 122 (10.66%) R. flavipectus. Interestingly, hantavirus antigens were identified in 6 of 196 (3.06%) Suncus murinus. Genetic analysis showed that partial M and S segment sequences recovered from rats in the two regions belong to Seoul virus (SEOV) and can be assigned into two genetic lineages. SEOV variants that belong to these two lineages of viruses are distributed widely in China and have been found outside China. As most trapped rodents were rats and SEOV was the only hantavirus detected, these results suggested that SEOV plays an important role in human hantavirus infections. They also reinforce the need for vigilance in preventing HFRS caused by hantaviruses in the coastal region.