Molecular characterization of two hantavirus strains from different rattus species in Singapore | Johansson et al. Virology Journal 2010 7 15 http content 7 1 15 VIROLOGY JOURNAL RESEARCH Open Access Molecular characterization of two hantavirus strains from different rattus species in Singapore Patrik Johansson1 Grace Yap2 Hwee-Teng Low1 Chern-Chiang Siew1 Relus Kek2 Lee-Ching Ng2 Goran Bucht2 Abstract Background Hantaviruses cause human disease in endemic regions around the world. Outbreaks of hantaviral diseases have been associated with changes in rodent population density and adaptation to human settlements leading to their proliferation in close proximity to human dwellings. In a parallel study initiated to determine the prevalence of pathogens in Singapore s wild rodent population 1206 rodents were trapped and screened. The findings established a hantavirus seroprevalence of 34 . This paper describes the molecular characterization of hantaviruses from Rattus norvegicus and Rattus tanezumi the predominant rodents caught in urban Singapore. Methodology Pan-hanta RT-PCR performed on samples of Rattus norvegicus and Rattus tanezumi indicated that 27 of the animals were positive. sequence analysis of the S and M segments established that two different hantavirus strains circulate in the rodent population of Singapore. Notably the hantavirus strains found in Rattus norvegicus clusters with other Asian Seoul virus sequences while the virus strains found in Rattus tanezumi had the highest sequence similarity to the Serang virus from Rattus tanezumi in Indonesia followed by Cambodian hantavirus isolates and the Thailand virus isolated from Bandicota indica. Conclusions Sequence analysis of the S and M segments of hantavirus strains found in Rattus norvegicus Seoul virus strain Singapore and Rattus tanezumi Serang virus strain Jurong TJK 06 revealed that two genetically different hantavirus strains were found in rodents of Singapore. Evidently together with Serang Cambodian and Thailand virus the Jurong virus forms a distinct phylogroup. .
