Novel Oliveros-like Clade C <i>Mammarenaviruses</i> from Rodents in Argentina, 1990–2020

oleh: Elizabeth Shedroff, Maria Laura Martin, Shannon L. M. Whitmer, Julia Brignone, Jorge B. Garcia, Carina Sen, Yael Nazar, Cintia Fabbri, Maria Morales-Betoulle, Jairo Mendez, Joel Montgomery, Maria Alejandra Morales, John D. Klena

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-02-01

Deskripsi

Following an Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF) outbreak in the early 1990s, a rodent survey for Junín virus, a New World Clade B arenavirus, in endemic areas of Argentina was conducted. Since 1990, INEVH has been developing eco-epidemiological surveillance of rodents, inside and outside the Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever endemic area. Samples from rodents captured between 1993 and 2019 that were positive for Arenavirus infection underwent Sanger and unbiased, Illumina-based high-throughput sequencing, which yielded 5 complete and 88 partial <i>Mammarenaviruses</i> genomes. Previously, 11 genomes representing four species of New World arenavirus Clade C existed in public records. This work has generated 13 novel genomes, expanding the New World arenavirus Clade C to 24 total genomes. Additionally, two genomes exhibit sufficient genetic diversity to be considered a new species, as per ICTV guidelines (proposed name <i>Mammarenavirus vellosense</i>). The 13 novel genomes exhibited reassortment between the small and large segments in New World <i>Mammarenaviruses</i>. This work demonstrates that Clade C <i>Mammarenavirus</i> infections circulate broadly among <i>Necromys</i> species in the Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever endemic area; however, the risk for Clade C <i>Mammarenavirus</i> human infection is currently unknown.