Mammarenaviruses of rodents, South Africa and Zimbabwe
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Date
Authors
Grobbelaar, Antoinette
Jardine, Jocelyn
Burt, Felicity J.
Shepherd, Alasdair J.
Shepherd, Susan P.
Leman, Patricia A.
Kemp, Alan
Braack, L.E.O.
Weyer, Jacqueline
Paweska, Janusz Tadeusz
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Abstract
We conducted a survey for group-specific indirect immunofluorescence antibody to mammarenaviruses by using Lassa fever and Mopeia virus antigens on serum specimens of 5,363 rodents of 33 species collected in South Africa and Zimbabwe during 1964–1994. Rodents were collected for unrelated purposes or for this study and stored at −70°C. We found antibody to be widely distributed in the 2 countries; antibody was detected in serum specimens of 1.2%–31.8% of 14 species of myomorph rodents, whereas 19 mammarenavirus isolates were obtained from serum specimens and viscera of 4 seropositive species. Phylogenetic analysis on the basis of partial nucleoprotein sequences indicates that 14 isolates from Mastomys natalensis, the Natal multimammate mouse, were Mopeia virus, whereas Merino Walk virus was characterized as a novel virus in a separate study. The remaining 4 isolates from 3 rodent species potentially constitute novel viruses pending full characterization.
Description
Keywords
Mammarenaviruses, Rodents, Zimbabwe, South Africa (SA)
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Grobbelaar, A.A., Jardine, J., Burt, F.J. et al. 2021, 'Mammarenaviruses of rodents,
South Africa and Zimbabwe', Emerging Infectious Diseases, vol. 27, no. 12, pp. 3092-3102, doi : 10.3201/eid2712.211088.