[Antigenic and genetic properties of Seoul virus strains--a causative agent of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome].

Data on the circulation of a new genetic variant of Seol virus, which was designated as "Vladivostok" (the name of the place where it was isolated)--VDV, were obtained, by using the antigenic and genetic analysis of hantavirus strains isolated from patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and from brown rats, and described in the present paper. A complete identity of nucleotide sequences of the M-segment fragment of isolates obtained from HFRS patients and of those obtained from rats was demonstrated, which confirms the key role of brown rat as a source of infection.