Pet rats as a source of hantavirus in England and Wales, 2013

We report the detection of a strain of Seoul hantavirus (SEOV) in pet rats in England and Wales. The discovery followed an investigation of a case of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Wales. Hantavirus RNA was detected via real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and classic RT-PCR in pet rats belonging to the patient. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the virus to be a SEOV that is similar, but not identical, to a previously reported United Kingdom strain from wild rats.

The continued emergence of hantaviruses: isolation of a Seoul virus implicated in human disease, United Kingdom, October 2012

Following a suspected case of hantavirus in a patientsuffering from acute kidney injury, rodents fromthe patient’s property in Yorkshire and the Humber,United Kingdom (UK) were screened for hantaviruses.Hantavirus RNA was detected via RT-PCR in two Rattusnorvegicus. Complete sequencing and phylogeneticanalysis established the virus as a Seoul hantavirus,which we have provisionally designated as strainHumber. This is the first hantavirus isolated from wildrodents in the UK and confirms the presence of a pathogenicSeoul virus in Europe.

The continued emergence of hantaviruses: isolation of a Seoul virus implicated in human disease, United Kingdom, October 2012

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