Hantaviruses (Hantaviridae) in the Republic of Crimea

Hantaviruses (family Hantaviridae), which are widely distributed in various regions of the world, are important zoonotic pathogens of human beings. Studies of the geographical distribution, species diversity of hantaviruses and their natural hosts have identified numerous species of hantaviruses among rodents, insectivores, and chiropterans. Here we present genetic analysis of hantaviruses circulating in the territory of the Republic of Crimea. Lung tissue samples from 119 voles of the Microtus genus, 66 mice of the Sylvaemus genus, and 10 insectivores of the Crocidura genus captured in the Republic of Crimea in 2021–2023 were tested for hantavirus antigen by an antigen-capture ELISA and/or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction followed by phylogenetic analysis. Hantavirus RNA was detected in three species of animals: the common vole (Microtus arvalis form obscurus), the social vole (Microtus socialis), and the lesser white-toothed shrew (Crocidura suaveolens). Phylogenetic analysis of the L- and S-segments sequences of the genome showed that two distinct genetic lineages of the Tula virus were found in the common vole and the social vole. The hantavirus associated with Crocidura suaveolens was designated as Artesian virus and was a putative new species phylogenetically related to hantaviruses circulating among insectivores of the genus Crocidura in Africa. The pathogenic potential of the identified hantaviruses has not been studied, but it was previously established that phylogenetically related viruses can infect human beings.