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

L J Jameson; S K Taori; B Atkinson; P Levick; C A Featherstone; G van der Burgt; N McCarthy; J Hart; J C Osborne; A L Walsh; T J Brooks; R Hewson

doi:10.2807/ese.18.09.20415-en

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

L J Jameson^1,2, S K Taori³, B Atkinson¹, P Levick⁴, C A Featherstone⁵, G van der Burgt⁶, N McCarthy⁷, J Hart⁸, J C Osborne³, A L Walsh⁹, T J Brooks³, R Hewson¹
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Affiliations: ¹ Virology and Pathogenesis, Microbiology Services, Health Protection Agency, Porton Down, Wiltshire, United Kingdom ² Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom ³ Rare and Imported Pathogens Department, Microbiology Services, Health Protection Agency, Porton Down, Wiltshire, United Kingdom ⁴ Biological Investigations Group, Microbiology Services, Health Protection Agency, Porton Down, Wiltshire, United Kingdom ⁵ Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Thirsk, Yorkshire, United Kingdom ⁶ Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Luddington, Warwickshire, United Kingdom ⁷ Thames Valley Health Protection Unit, Centre for Radiation, Chemical & Environmental Hazards, Health Protection Agency, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom ⁸ Public Health Wales, Health Protection Team, Flintshire, United Kingdom ⁹ Gastrointestinal, Emerging and Zoonotic Infections Department, Health Protection Services, Health Protection Agency Colindale, London, United Kingdom

Correspondence:
L Jameson
lisa.jameson hpa.org.uk
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Citation style for this article: Jameson L J, Taori S K, Atkinson B, Levick P, Featherstone C A, van der Burgt G, McCarthy N, Hart J, Osborne J C, Walsh A L, Brooks T J, Hewson R. Pet rats as a source of hantavirus in England and Wales, 2013. Euro Surveill. 2013;18(9):pii=20415. https://doi.org/10.2807/ese.18.09.20415-en Received: 21 Feb 2013

Abstract

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.