Hantaviruses in Populations of Voles in Siberia

Hantaviruses (genus Orthohantavirus , family Hantaviridae ) have been identified worldwide and cause two kinds of human disease. In recent years, genetic evidence of pathogenicity for humans has been demonstrated for Tula virus, circulating in Europe among common voles ( Microtus arvalis ). The goal of the study consisted in detection of natural foci of hantavirus infection among voles in Siberia and genetic identification of vole-borne hantaviruses. A total of 254 rodents of the Arvicolinae subfamily were captured in West and East Siberia and tested for hantavirus-specific antibodies by immunofluorescent assay and for hantavirus RNA using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. results. Hantavirus antibody-positive rodents were found in Altai and Krasnoyarsk krai, Tomsk, Novosibirsk oblast, and the Republic of Altai among root voles ( Alexandromys oeconomus ), field voles ( Microtus agrestis ), narrow-headed voles ( Lasiopodomys gregalis ), and steppe lemmings ( Lagurus lagurus ). Viral RNA was detected and identified as Tula virus in two species of seropositive animals. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Siberian strains of Tula virus represent distinct genetic variants, Russia II and Russia III, associated with narrow-headed voles and steppe lemmings, respectively. Our data demonstrated that Tula virus is present from Altai krai, Tomsk, Novosibirsk oblast in West Siberia up to East Siberia (Krasnoyarsk krai) in Asian Russia.