Genetic analysis of Dobrava-Belgrade virus from western Serbia--a newly detected focus in the Balkan Peninsula.

Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV) is a hantavirus species that causes the most severe form of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Europe. DOBV has been detected in three Apodemus rodents: A. flavicollis, A. agrarius and A. ponticus. These emerging viruses appear throughout the Balkan Peninsula including Serbia as its central part. In this study, we examined the seroprevalence, molecular epidemiology and phylogenetics of DOBV from A. flavicollis captured at six Serbian localities. Furthermore, we applied microsatellite typing of host animal genome to analyse the role of host kinship in DOBV animal transmission. The overall IgG seropositivity rate over 3 years (2008-2010) was 11.9% (22/185). All seropositive samples were subjected to RT-PCR and DNA sequencing for S and L genome segments (pos. 291-1079 nt and 2999-3316 nt, respectively). DOBV was genetically detected in three samples from mountain Tara in western Serbia, a newly detected DOBV focus in the Balkans. No sequence data from human cases from Serbia are available for the studied period. However, collected DOBV isolates in this work phylogenetically clustered together with isolates from Serbian human cases dating from 2002, with 1.9% nucleotide divergence. We determined the level of kinship between seropositive and seronegative animal groups and found no significant difference, suggesting that horizontal virus transmission in the studied population was the same within and among the hatches. Our findings are the first genetic detection of DOBV in rodents in Serbia. We confirm wide and continuous hantavirus presence in the examined parts of the Balkans, underlying the necessity of continual monitoring of hantavirus circulation in A. flavicollis.

Stamenković G ，Nikolić V ，Blagojević J ，Bugarski-Stanojević V ，Adnađević T ，Stanojević M ，Vujošević M ... -  《-》

Dobrava-Belgrade virus: phylogeny, epidemiology, disease.

Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV) is an Old World hantavirus that causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in humans. With a case fatality rate up to 12%, DOBV infection is the most life-threatening hantavirus disease in Europe. The virus was initially identified in the Balkans, but the discovery of new endemic foci have expanded its recognized geographic range. The recent description of novel genetic variants with different degrees of pathogenicity have complicated its taxonomic analysis. The original rodent host of DOBV is Apodemus flavicollis, however additional Apodemus species, such Apodemus agrarius and Apodemus ponticus, have been found to serve as hosts of the various DOBV genotypes. The complex evolution and genetic diversity of the virus are still under investigation. The present review aims to provide an update on the phylogeny of DOBV and the epidemiology of infection in rodents and humans; to describe the clinical characteristics of the disease; to present current knowledge about laboratory diagnosis, treatment and prevention; discuss the current state of the art in antiviral drug and vaccine development.

Papa A 《-》

Dobrava hantavirus variants found in Apodemus flavicollis mice in Kırklareli Province, Turkey.

Hantaviruses infect humans via inhalation of viral particles within secretions of infected rodents or rarely through direct contact with infected rodents. Determining the prevalence of hantavirus infections among rodent populations is of vital importance to obtain information on hantavirus-related cases and to predict possible outbreaks. We hypothesized that DOBV strains circulating in the Thrace Region in Turkey would be related to other Balkan DOBV strains. In this study, hantavirus infections in the rodent population of the Kırklareli-İğneada Region (north-western Turkey, near the Bulgarian border) were investigated. This region is of particular importance, as it is located in the south-eastern margin of the European continent and was used as an entrance point of Asian faunal elements into Europe. DOBV infection was detected in eight of 73 rodents; all were of the Apodemus flavicollis species. Partial sequences of the viral S-, M-, and L-genome segments were recovered and compared with previously reported DOBV sequences. The newly characterized Turkish strains were similar to other DOBV variants. Silent nucleotide mutations were dominant. The hantavirus prevalence in the İğneada region was similar to what has been reported in Greece and Bulgaria. For the first time, the M-segment sequences of DOBV from Turkey were recovered and genetic data of hantaviruses from Thrace region of Turkey were obtained.

Polat C ，Sironen T ，Plyusnina A ，Karatas A ，Sozen M ，Matur F ，Vapalahti O ，Oktem IMA ，Plyusnin A ... -  《-》

Detection of Dobrava hantaviruses in Apodemus agrarius mice in the Transdanubian region of Hungary.

Jakab F ，Horváth G ，Ferenczi E ，Sebok J ，Varecza Z ，Szucs G ... -  《VIRUS RESEARCH》

Complex evolution and epidemiology of Dobrava-Belgrade hantavirus: definition of genotypes and their characteristics.

Klempa B ，Avsic-Zupanc T ，Clement J ，Dzagurova TK ，Henttonen H ，Heyman P ，Jakab F ，Kruger DH ，Maes P ，Papa A ，Tkachenko EA ，Ulrich RG ，Vapalahti O ，Vaheri A ... -  《-》