Abstract
Background Several studies on hantavirus evolution have shown that genetic reassortment plays an important role in the evolution and epidemiology of this disease. Hantaan virus, a prototype hantavirus carried by Apodemus agrarius, is found throughout China, Russia, and Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of hantaviruses in rodents in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and perform phylogenetic comparisons using the geographical distribution of their natural reservoir rodent hosts as a point of reference.Methodology To understand the genetic epidemiology of human pathogenic hantaviruses, we examined viral isolates from rodent reservoirs, captured at three different locations in the ROK, between 2017 and 2018. Each sample collected was subjected to reverse-transcription nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-N-PCR) targeting the L- and S-segments of the hantavirus genome. Positive isolates from Gwangju, Boseong-gun (Jeollanam-do Province), and Jeju Island were confirmed as Hantaan virus using DNA sequencing.Results Phylogenetic analysis showed that all isolates grouped together as Hantaan virus. The isolates from Jeju, Boseong-gun, and Gwangju tended to cluster together, but with each region forming a distinct cluster. In addition, these three clusters were distinct from other Hantaan isolates reported in previous studies from Korea and its neighboring countries China and Russia. This suggests the emergence of a new hantavirus genotype in southwestern ROK.Conclusion Hantaan viruses exhibit a considerable degree of geographical clustering, and there may be a novel Hantaan genotype in southwestern ROK. This study helps expand our knowledge regarding the emergence of new hantavirus strains and their degree of geographical variation.
Genetic Diversity and Reassortment of Hantaan Virus Tripartite RNA Genomes in Nature, the Republic of Korea