Tracing Transmission of Sin Nombre Virus and Discovery of Infection in Multiple Rodent Species

Authors

• Samuel M Goodfellow, Center for Global Health, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
• Robert A. Nofchissey, Center for Global Health, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
• Kurt C. Schwalm, Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
• Joseph A. Cook, Museumof Southwestern Biology, Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
• Jonathan L. Dunnum, Museumof Southwestern Biology, Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
• Yan Guo, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
• Chunyan Ye, Center for Global Health, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
• Gregory J. Mertz, Center for Global Health, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
• Kartik Chandran, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Bronx, New York, USA
• Michelle Harkins, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
• Daryl B. Domman, Center for Global Health, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
• Darrell L. Dinwiddie, Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
• Steven B. Bradfute, Center for Global Health, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-9-2021

Abstract

Sin Nombre orthohantavirus (SNV), a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus that is carried and transmitted by the North American deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus, can cause infection in humans through inhalation of aerosolized excreta from infected rodents. This infection can lead to hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), which has an ∼36% case-fatality rate. We used reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to confirm SNV infection in a patient and identified SNV in lung tissues in wild-caught rodents from potential sites of exposure. Using viral whole-genome sequencing (WGS), we identified the likely site of transmission and discovered SNV in multiple rodent species not previously known to carry the virus. Here, we report, for the first time, the use of SNV WGS to pinpoint a likely site of human infection and identify SNV simultaneously in multiple rodent species in an area of known host-to-human transmission. These results will impact epidemiology and infection control for hantaviruses by tracing zoonotic transmission and investigating possible novel host reservoirs.

Publisher

American Society For Microbiology

Publication Title

Journal of virology

ISSN

1098-5514

Volume

95

Issue

23

First Page

0153421

Last Page

0153421

DOI

10.1128/JVI.01534-21

Recommended Citation

Goodfellow SM, Nofchissey RA, Schwalm KC, Cook JA, Dunnum JL, Guo Y, Ye C, Mertz GJ, Chandran K, Harkins M, Domman DB, Dinwiddie DL, Bradfute SB. Tracing Transmission of Sin Nombre Virus and Discovery of Infection in Multiple Rodent Species. J Virol. 2021 Nov 9;95(23):e0153421. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01534-21. Epub 2021 Sep 22. PMID: 34549977; PMCID: PMC8577387.