To better understand the seroepidemiologic and genetic features of Suchong virus found in Apodemus peninsulae in Korea, a serological survey and genetic analysis were conducted on 303 wild rodents captured in sixteen mountain areas during the six-year...
To better understand the seroepidemiologic and genetic features of Suchong virus found in Apodemus peninsulae in Korea, a serological survey and genetic analysis were conducted on 303 wild rodents captured in sixteen mountain areas during the six-year period, 1996 to 2001. As determined by the indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) test, 37 (12.2%) of 303 Apodemus peninsulae were seropositive against Hantaan virus, however, the positive rate showed high geographical differences from null to 37.5%. The fifty percent antigen positive rate observed in seropositive Apodemus peninsulae was very high compared to the positive rate observed in Apodemus agrarius, the main reservoir host of Hantaan virus. Over 20% of nucleotide sequence differences in the M segment, were observed between Hantaan and Suchong viruses, and these two viruses clustered to the different phylogenetic groups in the phylogenetic tree constructed based on the nucleotide sequences of M segment. Our data indicate that Suchong virus is a possible candidate of new hantaviruses, and Suchong and Hantaan viruses were co-evolved with their natural hosts in Korea.