Molecular detection and genetic characterization of Wenzhou virus in rodents in Guangzhou, China

Nina Wang,Quan Liu,Shouyi Chen,Guohui Li,Lichao Yang,Jun Ma,Jianwei Shao,Xu Zhang

doi:10.1186/s12917-021-03009-2

Nina Wang, Quan Liu + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-021-03009-2

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Abstract

BackgroundWenzhou virus (WENV), a newly discovered mammarenavirus in rodents, is associated with fever and respiratory symptoms in humans. This study was aimed to detect and characterize the emerging virus in rodents in Guangzhou, China.ResultsA total of 100 small mammals, including 70 Rattus norvegicus, 22 Suncus murinus, 4 Bandicota indica, 3 Rattus flavipectus, and 1 Rattus losea, were captured in Guangzhou, and their brain tissues were collected and pooled for metagenomic analysis, which generated several contigs targeting the genome of WENV. Two R. norvegicus (2.9%) were further confirmed to be infected with WENV by RT-PCR. The complete genome (RnGZ37-2018 and RnGZ40-2018) shared 85.1–88.9% nt and 83.2–96.3% aa sequence identities to the Cambodian strains that have been shown to be associated with human disease. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all identified WENV could be grouped into four different lineages, and the two Guangzhou strains formed an independent clade. We also analyzed the potential recombinant events occurring in WENV strains.ConclusionsOur study showed a high genetic diversity of WENV strains in China, emphasizing the relevance of surveillance of this emerging mammarenavirus in both natural reservoirs and humans.

Highlights

Wenzhou virus (WENV), a newly discovered mammarenavirus in rodents, is associated with fever and respiratory symptoms in humans
Detection of WENV in rodents in Guangzhou In 2018, a total of 100 rodent samples were collected from Conghua and Haizhu Districts in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China (Fig. 1)
Semi-nested RT-PCR targeting the 290 nt fragment of S segment was performed to screen WENV infection in all collected samples, showing that two R. norvegicus (2/70, 2.9%) in Conghua District were positive for WENV

Summary

Introduction

Wenzhou virus (WENV), a newly discovered mammarenavirus in rodents, is associated with fever and respiratory symptoms in humans. Mammarenaviruses, belonging to the Mammarenavirus genus in the Arenaviridae family, include several members responsible for severe hemorrhagic fever diseases. Gov/vhf/lassa/index.html), while Junín virus (JUNV), Guanarito virus (GTOV), Machupo virus (MACV), and Sabía virus (SABV) can cause fatal hemorrhagic fever diseases in Latin America [1]. Based on genetic and geographic relationships, mammarenaviruses are divided into two monophyletic groups, including the New World (NW) and the Old World (OW). The NW arenaviruses, including JUNV, GTOV, MACV, SABV, WWAV, and TCRV, are geographically confined to Americas. While the OW arenaviruses are generally distributed in Africa (LASV) and Asia (WENV, LORV, RVKV, Xingyi and Lijiang virus) [8]. The high genetic diversity has been shown in the NW and OW arenaviruses [12, 13], and WENVs from different geographic area have formed independent clades [7, 14]

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