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Isolation of the causative agent of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
L H Elliott1, T G Ksiazek, P E Rollin
1Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
Abstract:
Investigation of a recent outbreak of acute respiratory illness in the southwestern United States resulted in the recognition of a new disease, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) with high mortality. Different animals and cell lines were used in attempts to isolate the causative agent. A previously unknown hantavirus was passaged in laboratory-bred deer mice, recovered from lung tissues of a deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, and propagated in the E6 clone of Vero cells. Virus antigen was readily detected in the infected cells by an indirect immunofluorescence assay, using convalescent-phase sera from HPS patients. By electron microscopy, the virus was shown to have the typical morphologic features of members of the genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae. Virus sequences corresponded to those previously detected by a nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay of hantavirus-infected specimens from rodents and humans. This newly recognized virus, the etiologic agent of HPS, has been tentatively named Muerto Canyon virus.
Insights
A new hantavirus, Muerto Canyon virus, was identified as the cause of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe respiratory illness. This discovery followed an outbreak in the southwestern United States, leading to a new disease recognition.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- An outbreak of acute respiratory illness in the southwestern US led to the identification of a new disease, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).
- HPS is characterized by high mortality, necessitating the identification of its causative agent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and identify the novel virus responsible for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).
- To characterize the newly discovered hantavirus and establish its etiological role in HPS.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of the virus in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and propagation in Vero E6 cells.
- Detection of viral antigen using indirect immunofluorescence assays with patient sera.
- Morphological characterization via electron microscopy and genetic sequencing using RT-PCR.
Main Results:
- A previously unknown hantavirus was successfully isolated and propagated.
- Viral antigen was detected in infected cells, confirming infectivity.
- Electron microscopy and sequence analysis confirmed the virus as a novel member of the Hantavirus genus, family Bunyaviridae.
- The virus sequences matched those previously detected in infected rodents and humans.
Conclusions:
- The newly identified virus, tentatively named Muerto Canyon virus, is the etiological agent of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).
- This discovery advances the understanding of HPS and provides a target for future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.