[Study on the molecular epidemiology of hantaviruse carried by hosts in northern suburb of Beijing].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate hantanvirus infection of captured rodents in Haidian district and Changping district of Beijing and to type hantavirus using molecular technique.

METHODS

The captured mice were classified and the density of distribution was calculated. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique was used to amplify the partial M fragnments of hantaviruse. Several representative positive samples were sequenced and analysed by ClustalX (5.0) and DNAClub software.

RESULTS

A total of 414 animals were captured, among which Battus norvegicus was the dominant group. In Haidian district, the median infection rates with hantavirus were 13.14% in Battus norvegicus and 0 in Mus musculus Linnaeus. In Changping district, the average infection rates were 17.46% in Battus norvegicus and 3.57% in Mus musculus Linnaeus. Nucleotide sequences analysis showed that the virus detected all belonged to SEO-type. They clustered with Z37 virus and could be branched into 2 different subclades.

CONCLUSION

The major hosts of hantavirus in Haidian and Changping district were Battus norvegicus and the epidemic strains in the two districts of Beijing were genotyped as SEO-type. Nucleotide sequence and deduced amino acid sequence from different rodents were highly homologous, while nucleotide mutation had also been observed. Further studies are required to explore the possible virus sequence mutation.