• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.203-210
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• 2000

Hantaviruses are etiologic agents of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in the world. Various hantaviruses were isolated from HFRS patients and several different rodent species in the world. Four hantavirus isolates from Indonesia and three isolates from Thailand among 89 Bandicotas captured in Yogyakarta, east region of Sumatra island, Indonesia and at Chiang Mai in Thailand during 1996 were made through several passages in Vero E6 cells. Viral genome M segment from two Indonesian isolates and three Thailand isolates were amplified using hantavirus generic primers of the M segment and cloned into pCRII vector. The genetic differences were analyzed by comparison of partial sequence of the M segment and antigenic differences were made by IFA. Nucleotide sequence homology of two isolates BC 8, BC 34 from Indonesia and two isolates thai 1322, thai 1330 to Seoul virus was 99% and 96%, respectively, but Thai 1164 was 80%Thai 1164 strain has shown 95% homology to Thai 749 virus. In conclusion it is indicated that two different serotype hantaviruses, Seoul and Thailand, are cocirculating among Bandicota in Thailand, in contrast Seoul serotype virus is circulating in Indonesia.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.101-106
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• 1996

Hantavirus is the etiologic agent of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). It has been known that the natural reservoirs of Hantavirus are not only field mice but also other animals in parts of the world. In this study, to research on the host range of Hantavirus, immunofluorescent antibody against Hantavirus was investigated in wild birds from 1991 to 1992, duck from 1991 to 1992 and squirrels (Tamias sibiricus) in 1990 in Korea. The results were as follows: 1. Of total 179 wild birds of 14 species, Emberiza elegans elegans and Passer montanus dy-bowsky were antibody positive. The positive rates were 3.92% (2 out of 51) and 1.64% (1 out of 61), respectively. 2. The antibody titers of wild birds were 1:16 and 1:64 in Emberiza elegans elegans, 1:16 in Passer montanus dybowsky. 3. The positive rate of antibody in ducks was 2.3% (3 out of 129). 4. The positive rate of antibody in squrrels was 48.10% (38 out of 79). According these results, we newly showed that passer montanus dybowsky, domestic ducks and Tamias sibiricus possessed the antibody against Hantavirus.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 1996

To understand whether the bats inhabiting in Korea play role as hosts harboring Hantavirus that cause acute febrile diseases, a total number of 802 bats of 9 species were collected from seven provinces in Korea from 1989 to 1995 and tested for the presence of antibodies to Hantavirus by means of immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) technique. The results are summarized as follow. 1. Total 802 captured bats were classified into 9 different species with the following distribution. They were Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Eptesicus serotinus, Miniopterus sehreibersii, Vespertilio superans, Myotis mystatinus, Murina leucogaster, Myotis formosus, Myotis macrodactylus and Plecotus auritus with numbers and rates of 423 (52.74%), 291 (36.28%), 47 (5.86%), 28 (3.49%), 8 (1.00%), 1 (0.12%) and 1 (0.12%), respectively. The predominant species of the bats was Rhinolophus ferrumequinum with 52.74% of the captured. 2. Among 9 species of bats, species of Rhinolophus ferrumequinum and Eptesicus serotinus were positive with Hantavirus antibody of strain numbers 76-118. The rate of antibody positive was 3.78%. 3. The seasonal differences of Hantavirus antibody in 802 bats tested were 5.83%, 4.17%, 3.67% and 0.64% in winter, spring, summer and autumn, respectively. Again the highest viral antibody prevalence was detected in winter. It could be concluded through the study that certain species of bats inhabiting in Korea play a definite role as the host animals of certain species of Hantavirus.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1382-1389
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• 1997

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome(HPS) is a systemic disease that is caused by a newly discorved and characterized virus of the Hantavirus genus, which is most frequently referred to as the sin nombre virus. The clinical syndrome resembles other hantavirus syndromes worldwide, except that it is characterized by a brief prodromal illness followed by rapidly progressive, noncardiogenic edema, and that it is more deadly than any previously recognized hantavirus infection. The clinical manifestations of HPS are characterized by four clinical phases : prodrome, pulmonary edema and shock, diuresis, and convalescence. Mortality is greatest in the first 24 hours of the pulmonary edema and shock phase of the illness. These phases are strikingly similar to the clinical phases of Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS) induced by Hantaan virus, except that HPS has not been associated with renal failure and Disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC). We here report a case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome developed in a 58 year-old man. He had a flu-like illness followed by the rapid onset of respiratory failure due to noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. HPS was diagnosed by clinical manifestations, identification of high titer antibody to Hantaan virus antigen and histologic finding of transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) specimen. The patient was treated with mechanical ventilation and initial corticosteroid pulse therapy resulting in successful outcome.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1384-1387
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• 2005

Hantavax(R) is one of the killed Hantavirus vaccines, and is commercially available in South Korea. This vaccine was developed by inactivation of virus isolated from infected suckling mouse brain with formalin. Although Hantavax(R) can induce neutralizing antibodies in vaccinees, the strength of this induction and the duration of the humoral immune response are controversial issues. In this study, we studied the native conformation of the killed vaccine by antigen-capture reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction with patient and vaccinee sera containing neutralizing antibodies against Hantavirus. The results showed that Hantavax(R) could bind HTNV patient and vaccinee sera like live virus, suggesting that the integrity of the viral epitope is maintained in Hantavax(R) and induces the protective antibodies, even though the virus was inactivated with formalin.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.269-275
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• 1999

Background : In April 6, 1990, a male researcher who has worked at a research unit at the Basic Research Building of Seoul National University(SNU) College of Medicine admitted to SNU Hospital due to persistent fever. He was diagnosed serologically as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS). Another female researcher in the same unit was also diagnosed as HFRS at the same hospital several days later. Epidemic investigation of HFRS was conducted to determine the magnitude of the problems since these two cases were strongly suspected to have laboratory-acquired infections of HFRS. Methods : All researchers and employees working at the Basic Research Building(BRB) of SNU College of Medicine as of April 1, 1996 were recruited for the study, information on symptoms of HFRS and history of contact to experimental animals were collected by self-administered questionnaires and serological tests among study subjects were also conducted by indirect immunofluorescent antibody(IFA) to hantavirus. The experimental animals were also serologically tested for infection with hantavirus by IFA. Results : Among 218 surveyed, six researchers and an animal caretaker had hantavirus antibodies above 1:20 in IFA titer. Five of seven sero-positive subjects had antibodies above 1:640 in IFA titer and had shown clinical symptoms compatible to HFRS during Jan. 1 to Apr, 20, 1996. The sero-positive persons had handled animals more frequently than sero-negative persons (OR, 19,68; 95% Cl, 1.11-350.40) and handling animals at the animal quarter at School of Public Health(SPH) had shown consistently higher risk to get infected with hantavirus irrespective of types of animals handled (OR, 4.90-6.37). Sero-positivity of rats of the aniamal quarter at BRB was 30-60%, whereas 80% of rats at SPH tested were shown sero-positivity. Conclusion: There was a epidemic of HFRS in research units of a medical school during the period from Jan. through Apr, Further investigation is needed to determine the extent and the mode of transmission of the laboratory-acquired infection with hantavirus in other research facilities.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.71-77
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• 2005

The etiologic agents of haemorragic fever with ranal syndrom (HFRS) in Korea are Hantaan and Seoul virus in the genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae. In order to elucidate the role of maternal immunity to Hantavirus infection in rats, the protective effect of the maternal antibody were studies by using rats experimentally infected with Seoul virus strain HR80-39. Antibody titers of sera and viral antigen against Seoul virus were investigated by indirect immunofluorscence antibody technique (IFA). The dam sera had IFA antibody titers ranging from 1:128 to 1:1,024 after parturition. In fetuses, IFA antibody titers ranged from 1: 16 to 1:64 just after birth, increased to peak titers ranged from 1:256 to 1:1,024 in the 2nd week after birth. Challenged newborn rats had IFA antibody titers ranging from 1:64 to 1:1,024 after inoculation. No viral antigen was detected in lungs or other organs of the newborn rats. The maternal antibody to Seoul virus was transferred prenatally through placenta and postnatally via colostrum from immune dams to their offspring. These results demonstrated that maternal antibody to Seoul virus was quite effective in protecting newborn rats against same virus infection.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.337-345
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• 1998

Hantaviruses are distributed in rodent population world-widely even in geographical areas where hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) has not been reported. Various species of Family Muridae and Arvicolidae serve as the natural reservoirs of hantaviruses. Hantaan virus, Seoul virus, Puumala virus, Prospect HII virus, Sin Nombre virus and New York virus are members of genus Hantavirus and isolated from lungs of A. agrarius, R. norvegicus, C. glareolus, M. pennsylvanicus, P. maniculatus and P. leucopus respectively. This experiment was intended to find the distribution of hantavirus infection among wild rodents and isolate the hantavirus from lung tissue of seropositve Apodemus peninsulae, and compared the nucleotide and amino acid sequences with prototype of hantaan virus 76-118 strain. Hantaviral sequences were amplified from lung tissues of A. peninsulae by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Alignment and comparison of the 324 nucleotide of G2 region of M-genomic segment diverged 4.6% and 0% at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, and complete N protein-coding region of S-genomic segment diverged 3.7% and 1.4% nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively. This is the report to spill-over on the hantaan virus from A. agrarius to A. peninsulae in Korea.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1999

Hantaan virus is widely distributed among rodent populations in Korea. Two antigenically distinct hantaviruses were isolated from Apodemus agrarius in 1976 and Rattus norvegicus in 1980 in Korea. This study was designed to investigate the serological evidence of hantavirus infection among indegenous wild rodents, which were captured in 11 mountains located in Kyunggi, Kangwon, Chungnam, Chunbug and Kyungnam province of South Korea. A total 252 wild rodents of 3 species were trapped from Myungsung Mt., Chumbong Mt., Kali Mt., Hansuk Mt., Chachil peak, Kyebang Mt., Odae Mt., Kyerong Mt., Kaya Mt., Togju Mtand Chiri Mtin 1997. Serologic test for hantavirus infection was performed using hantavirus antigens by indirect immunofluorescent antibody techniqueAmong 122 Apodemus agrarius, 88 Apodemus peninsulae and 42 Eothenomys regulus; 18 A. agrarius (14.8%), 12 A. peninsulae (13.6%) and 4 E. regulus (9.5%) were immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) positive against hantaan virus. IFA titers 3 Eothenomys regulus sera were higher against puumalavirus than hantaan virus. These data imply that above three species of rodent might be natural reservoirs of hantaviruses in Korea.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.99-103
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• 2003

Hantavirus are rodent-borne RNA virus that belongs to the family Bunyaviridae. Those viruses persistently infect a variety of rodents, and are transmitted by aerosols of their urine, feces and saliva. Antibody titers of sera obtained from normal laboratory rodents against hantaviruses were investigated by indirect immunofluorscence antibody technique (IFA), Seroconversion rates of normal laboratory rodents showed higher in rats than that from hamster and mongolian (M). gerbil. Theses rates of normal laboratory rodents also showed higher in titers against puumala virus (PUUV) than in hantaan (HTNV) and seoul virus (SEOV). We are concerned about infections caused by hantaviruses, especially by PUUV, occurred in laboratory rodents.