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Analysis of Puumala hantavirus in a bank vole population in northern Finland: evidence for co-circulation of two genetic lineages and frequent reassortment between strains

¹ Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki/ Finnish Forest Research Institute;
² Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki;
³ Finnish Forest Research Institute

⁴ E-mail: maria.razzauti{at}helsinki.fi

In this study, for the first time, two distinct genetic lineages of Puumala virus (PUUV) were found within a small sampling area and within a single host genetic lineage (Ural mtDNA) at Pallasjärvi, in northern Finland. Lung tissue samples of 171 bank voles (Myodes glareolus) trapped in September 1998 were screened for the presence of PUUV N-antigen and 25 were found positive. Partial sequences of PUUV S, M, and L genome segments were recovered from these samples using RT-PCR. (Phylo)genetic analyses revealed two genetic groups of PUUV sequences that belonged to the Finnish and the North-Scandinavian lineages. This presented a unique opportunity to study inter-lineage reassortment in PUUV and 32% of the studied bank voles appeared to carry reassortant virus genomes indeed. Thus the frequency of intra-lineage reassortment is comparable to that of inter-lineage reassortment observed earlier in PUUV (Razzauti et al., J Gen Virol, 89:1649-60, 2008). Of six possible reassortant S/M/L combinations, only two were found at Pallasjärvi and, notably, in all reassortants both S and L segments originated from the same genetic lineage suggesting a non-random pattern for the reassortment. These findings are discussed in connection to PUUV evolution in Fennoscandia.

Received 25 February 2009; accepted 20 April 2009.