Discovery of hantaviruses in bats and insectivores and the evolution of the genus Hantavirus.
Yong-Zhen Zhang1
Affiliations1 institutions
State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
Hantaviruses are among the most important zoonotic pathogens of humans, causing either hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) or hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). From the period 1964-2006 almost all hantaviruses had been identified in rodents, with the exception of Thottapalayam virus (TPMV) isolated from shrews sampled in India. As a consequence, rodents were considered as the natural reservoir hosts. However, over the past seven years, most of the newly found hantavirus genotypes have been from either shrews or moles. Remarkably, in recent years divergent hantaviruses have also been identified in bats sampled from both Africa and Asia. All these data indicate that hantaviruses have a broad range of natural reservoir hosts. Phylogenetic analyses of the available sequences of hantaviruses suggest that hantaviruses might have first appeared in Chiroptera (bats) or Soricomorpha (moles and shrews), before emerging in rodent species. Although rodent hantaviruses cluster according to whether their hosts are members of the Murinae and Cricetidae, the phylogenetic histories of the viruses are not always congruent with those of their hosts, indicating that cross-species transmission events have occurred at all taxonomic levels. In sum, both cross-species transmission and co-divergence have produced the high genetic diversity of hantaviruses described to date.
Most of the newly found hantavirus genotypes have been from either shrews or moles.
Reservoir Ecology3 records
Reservoir EcologyExtraction confidence 0.80
Key finding
Hantaviruses are maintained by diverse reservoir hosts including bats, shrews, moles, and rodents across Africa and Asia, indicating a broad ecological host range.
Over the past seven years, most of the newly found hantavirus genotypes have been from either shrews or moles. Remarkably, in recent years divergent hantaviruses have also been identified in bats sampled from both Africa and Asia. All these data indicate that hantaviruses have a broad range of natural reservoir hosts.
Method
sampling
Geographic raw
Africa and Asia
Reservoir EcologyExtraction confidence 0.80
Key finding
Newly detected hantavirus genotypes in shrews and moles confirm these insectivores as additional natural reservoirs beyond rodents.
Most of the newly found hantavirus genotypes have been from either shrews or moles. All these data indicate that hantaviruses have a broad range of natural reservoir hosts.
Method
sampling
Reservoir EcologyExtraction confidence 0.80
Key finding
Rodents historically served as the main natural reservoirs for hantaviruses prior to identification of additional insectivore hosts.
From the period 1964-2006 almost all hantaviruses had been identified in rodents, with the exception of Thottapalayam virus (TPMV) isolated from shrews sampled in India. As a consequence, rodents were considered as the natural reservoir hosts.
Geographic raw
India
Country inferred
India
Cross Species Transmission1 records
Cross Species TransmissionExtraction confidence 0.95
Key finding
Phylogenetic analyses indicate hantaviruses have crossed between different mammalian hosts such as bats, shrews, moles, and rodents.
Phylogenetic histories of the viruses are not always congruent with those of their hosts, indicating that cross-species transmission events have occurred at all taxonomic levels.
Method
phylogenetic analysis; sequence analysis
Study design
phylogenetic analysis
Transmission direction
animal-to-animal
Geographic raw
Africa and Asia
Genomic Evolution1 records
Genomic EvolutionExtraction confidence 0.90
Key finding
Phylogenetic sequence analysis indicates hantaviruses originated in bats or insectivores, preceding their emergence in rodents.
Phylogenetic analyses of the available sequences of hantaviruses suggest that hantaviruses might have first appeared in Chiroptera (bats) or Soricomorpha (moles and shrews), before emerging in rodent species.
