Abstract
Orthohantaviruses are re-emerging rodent-borne pathogens distributed all over the world. Here, we report the isolation of a Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) strain from bank voles caught in a highly endemic region around the city Osnabrück, north-west Germany. Coding and non-coding sequences of all three segments (S, M, and L) were determined from original lung tissue, after isolation and after additional passaging in VeroE6 cells and a bank vole-derived kidney cell line. Different single amino acid substitutions were observed in the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) of the two stable PUUV isolates. The PUUV strain from VeroE6 cells showed a lower titer when propagated on bank vole cells compared to VeroE6 cells. Additionally, glycoprotein precursor (GPC)-derived virus-like particles of a German PUUV sequence allowed the generation of monoclonal antibodies that allowed the reliable detection of the isolated PUUV strain in the immunofluorescence assay. In conclusion, this is the first isolation of a PUUV strain from Central Europe and the generation of glycoprotein-specific monoclonal antibodies for this PUUV isolate. The obtained virus isolate and GPC-specific antibodies are instrumental tools for future reservoir host studies.
Highlights
Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) is the most important hantavirus in Europe [1]
Human hantavirus disease is notifiable in Germany since 2001 and the majority of recorded cases is mainly due to PUUV infections in southern and western parts of Germany, whereas Dobrava-Belgrade orthohantavirus (DOBV) with the striped
Isolation of PUUV from bank voles in the field confirmed lung tissue for most of the samples as having the highest PUUV RNA load, it was detected in almost all other tissues investigated (Fig. S1)
Summary
Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) is the most important hantavirus in Europe [1]. It causes the majority of human hantavirus infections and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndromeEdited by Detlev H. Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) is the most important hantavirus in Europe [1]. It causes the majority of human hantavirus infections and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. In Central and Western Europe hantavirus outbreaks occur in two to five year intervals and are driven by massive increase of the bank vole (Myodes glareolus) population, the reservoir of this orthohantavirus species [3]. Human hantavirus disease is notifiable in Germany since 2001 and the majority of recorded cases is mainly due to PUUV infections in southern and western parts of Germany, whereas Dobrava-Belgrade orthohantavirus (DOBV) with the striped
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