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Reports on hantavirus findings from Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology provide new insights



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2008 JAN 13 -- Researchers detail in 'A new Hantaan-like virus in rodents (Apodemus peninsulae) from Northeastern China,' new data in hantavirus. According to a study from Beijing, People's Republic of China, "Lung tissue samples of 76 Korean field mice (Apodemus peninsulae) collected from northeastern China bordering with Far East Russia and Korea were detected for hantavirus partial M-segment or entire S-segment sequences by RT-PCR and 481-nt mitochondrial DNA fragment of the rodents. Four A. peninsulae mice were found positive for partial M-segment of hantavirus."

"Sequence analyses of partial M-segment or/and entire S-segment of the hantaviruses revealed that three were closely related to Hantaan virus (HTNV) strain 76-118. One new variant of HTNV-like virus designated as 'Jilin-AP06' was much different from other rodent-borne hantavirus from China, and clustered with Amur (AMR) virus strains, which represent a distinct genetic lineage," wrote J.F. Jiang and colleagues, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology.

The researchers concluded: "These findings imply that hantavirus Jililn-AP06 strain from A. peninsulae is a new record of rodent-borne AMR virus in China. A. peninsulae might be a natural carrier of two distinct hantaviruses, AMR virus and HTNV in China."

Jiang and colleagues published their study in Virus Research (A new Hantaan-like virus in rodents (Apodemus peninsulae) from Northeastern China. Virus Research, 2007;130(1-2):292-5).

For more information, contact J.F. Jiang, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing 100071, PR China.

Publisher contact information for the journal Virus Research is: Elsevier Science BV, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Keywords: People's Republic of China, Beijing, DNA, Epidemiology, Hantavirus, Microbiology, Vector-Borne Disease, Virology, Zoonoses.

This article was prepared by Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2008, Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA via NewsRx.com.