Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome in Panama: Identification of Novel Hantaviruses and Their Likely Reservoirs

Abstract

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe respiratory disease with high mortality caused by rodent-borne hantaviruses, has previously been identified in the United States and Canada as well as central and southern South America. In late 1999 and early 2000, an outbreak of acute illness compatible with HPS was reported in Los Santos, Panama, with the death of 3 of the 12 (25%) suspected cases. Hantavirus-specific antibodies were detected in patient sera, and virus RNA was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Sequence analysis of virus genome N-, G1-, and G2-encoding fragments showed this to be a novel hantavirus, Choclo virus. Serologic and virus genetic analyses of rodents trapped in the area showed Oligoryzomys fulvescens to be the likely reservoir for the HPS-associated Choclo virus. In addition, Zygodontomys brevicauda rodents were shown to harbor another genetically unique hantavirus, Calabazo virus.

Hantavirus Fever without Pulmonary Syndrome in Panama

“…In Panama, Choclo virus was first described in 2000 during an outbreak in the agroecosystems of the Azuero Peninsula in western Panama. 2,3 Choclo virus is hosted by the fulvous rice rat (Oligoryzomys fulvescens) 2 and displays a peridomestic habitat preference. 4 Choclo virus is phylogenetically related to Maporal virus in Venezuela, Laguna Negra virus in Paraguay, and Andes virus in Argentina and Chile, and it seems to be responsible for almost all human infections in Panama.…”

Andes virus associated with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in northern Argentina and determination of the precise site of infection.

“…4,5 An increasing number of hantaviruses associated with human disease have been identified not only in North America, but also in South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, [6][7][8] ) and recently in Central America (Panama. 9 ) Person-to-person transmission was first documented during an outbreak of HPS in southern Argentina in 1996, [10][11][12] and most likely in two family clusters in Chile in 1997, 13 all associated with Andes (AND) virus. From 1995, when the first case of HPS was genetically characterized in Argentina, 14 through 2000, approximately 320 cases of HPS have been reported in three geographically distinct areas of the country: the southern region (Rio Negro, Chubut, and Neuqué n provinces), the central region (Buenos Aires, Entre Rios, and Santa Fe provinces), and the northern region (Salta and Jujuy provinces).…”

Catacamas Virus, a Hantaviral Species Naturally Associated With Oryzomys Couesi (Coues’ Oryzomys) in Honduras

“…Also note that ANDV, CHOV, and MAPV are principally associated with Oligoryzomys species, BCCV, MULV, and CADV are principally associated with Sigmodon species, and-as indicated previously-BAYV is principally associated with Oryzomys palustris. 7,8,10,14,16,17,28,[41][42][43] The results of the NJ analysis of uncorrected p model distances generated from the alignment of N protein amino acid sequences, the MP analysis of the alignment of N protein gene sequences, and the MP analysis of the alignment of N protein amino acid sequences were essentially the same as the results of the NJ analysis of uncorrected p model distances generated from the alignment of N protein gene sequences.…”

“…Evidence for this ancient virus-host relationship includes the association of phylogenetically closely related hantaviral species with phylogenetically closely related rodent species, for example-SNV with P. maniculatus and NYV with P. leucopus, [49][50][51] and ANDV, CHOV and MAPV, and RIOMV with Oligoryzomys longicaudatus (long-tailed colilargo), 10,42,43 Oligoryzomys fulvescens (fulvous colilargo), 7,17 and Oligoryzomys microtis (small-eared colilargo), 18 respectively. The results of analyses of cytochrome b gene sequences in an earlier study indicated that Oryzomys species are phylogenetically more closely related to Oligoryzomys species than to Sigmodon species.…”

“…The viral species that have been causally associated with HPS include Bayou virus (BAYV), Black Creek Canal virus (BCCV), and New York virus (NYV) on the mainland United States, [1][2][3][4] Sin Nombre virus (SNV) in Canada and on the mainland United States, 5,6 Choclo virus (CHOV) in Panama, 7 Andes virus (ANDV) in Argentina and Chile, [8][9][10] and Laguna Negra virus (LANV) in Paraguay and Argentina. 11,12 Other hantaviral species that are naturally associated with sigmodontine rodents include El Moro Canyon virus (ELMCV) and Muleshoe virus (MULV) on the mainland United States, 13,14 Rio Segundo virus (RIOSV) in Costa Rica, 15 Caño Delgadito virus (CADV) and Maporal virus (MAPV) in Venezuela, 16,17 and Rio Mamore virus (RIOMV) in Bolivia.…”