Evidence of the presence of Seoul virus in Cambodia

Jean-Marc Reynes (1) , Jean-Louis Soares (1) , Thomas Hüe (1) , Michele Bouloy (2) , Sot Sun (3) , Sun Lay Kruy (1) , François Flye Sainte Marie (1) , Hervé Zeller (4)

1 Institut Pasteur du Cambodge
2 Génétique Moléculaire des Bunyavirus
3 Ministère de l’Agriculture des Forêts et de la Pêche [Phnom Penh]
4 CNR FHV - UBIVE - Centre national de Référence des Fièvres hémorragiques virales - National Reference Center Haemorrhagic Fevers

A study was conducted in agricultural and urban areas in Cambodia to assess the presence of hantaviruses in rodent populations. In 1998, rodents were trapped in two villages and in Phnom Penh city around market places and a rubbish dump. IgG antibodies to Hantaan virus were detected in 54 (8.2%) rodents among 660 tested: 6.4% (13/203) among roof rats (Rattus rattus), 20.9% (39/187) among Norway rats (R. norvegicus), 16.7% (2/12) among unidentified Rattus species and none in 183 Polynesian rats (R. exulans) or in 75 bandicoot rats (Bandicota sp.). The presence of the viral genome was detected by a reverse transcription-PCR amplifying part of the sequence coding for the nucleoprotein in the S segment, in 87% of the seropositive rodents. Thirty-one representative cDNAs were sequenced. Phylogenetic studies of the sequences indicated a close relationship with Seoul virus. However, the Cambodian Seoul virus sequences clustered within two different phylogenetic lineages, one associated with R. rattus and the other with R. norvegicus.

Keywords: Seoul virus; Hantavirus; Cambodia; Rodent

Domains: Infectious diseases; Virology; Santé publique et épidémiologie

Jean-Marc Reynes, Jean-Louis Soares, Thomas Hüe, Michele Bouloy, Sot Sun, et al.. Evidence of the presence of Seoul virus in Cambodia. Microbes and Infection, 2003, 5 (9), pp.769 - 773. ⟨10.1016/S1286-4579(03)00149-7⟩. ⟨pasteur-01836869⟩