Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome in Northwestern Argentina: Circulation of Laguna Negra Virus Associated With Calomys Callosus

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to characterize the hantaviruses circulating in northwestern Argentina. Human and rodent studies were conducted in Yuto, where most cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) occur. Partial virus genome sequences were obtained from the blood of 12 cases of HPS, and from the lungs of 4 Calomys callosus and 1 Akodon simulator. Phylogenetic analysis showed that three genotypes associated with HPS circulate in Yuto. Laguna Negra (LN) virus, associated with C. laucha in Paraguay, was identified for the first time in Argentina; it was recovered from human cases and from C. callosus samples. The high sequence identity between human and rodent samples implicated C. callosus as the primary rodent reservoir for LN virus in Yuto. The genetic analysis showed that the Argentinian LN virus variant differed 16.8% at the nucleotide level and 2.9% at the protein level relative to the Paraguayan LN virus. The other two hantavirus lineages identified were the previously known Bermejo and Oran viruses.

Juquitiba-like Hantavirus from 2 Nonrelated Rodent Species, Uruguay

“…Antibodies to hantavirus in Uruguay Oxymycterus spp. may be interpreted as a secondary infection (spillover) (10). Interestingly, in the trapping area, the long-nosed mice are the most abundant rodent species, and the seroprevalence of hantavirus among them (6%) is higher than that previously reported in Uruguay (6).…”

“…To determine the source of the patient's infection, during March 12-15 and December [10][11]2005, small mammals were trapped near where the patient had lived or worked during the 6 weeks before the onset of symptoms and in nearby habitats. Established biosafety guidelines were followed (7).…”

Diversity and Distribution of Hantaviruses in South America

“…Since that time, more than 2,000 HPS cases have been reported and more than 30 hantaviruses have been described throughout the New World, the majority in South America (28). HPS cases where an associated virus could be identified have been (10,12,19,26,27,36,44,51,58,59,76). Although many hantaviruses have been described, few meet the criteria for species demarcation suggested by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) (32).…”

Truncated Hantavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins for Serotyping Sin Nombre, Andes, and Laguna Negra Hantavirus Infections in Humans and Rodents

“…ANDV and LANV, with different pathogenicity patterns and with approximately 40% and 15% mortality rates, respectively, exist in a sympatric relationship in Argentina (10,14). Moreover, there is documented evidence of person-toperson transmission of some kind of ANDV strain (15,22).…”