Hantavirus surveillance and genetic diversity targeting small mammals at Camp Humphreys, a US military installation and new expansion site, Republic of Korea

Small mammal surveillance was conducted (2008±2010, 2012) at Camp (Cp) Humphreys, a US Army installation and new expansion site, Republic of Korea (ROK), to identify hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome health threats to US military/civilian populations during its ongoing expansion phase. Small mammals were collected using Sherman live capture traps and transported to Korea University where they were euthanized, tissues removed, and assayed to determine hantavirus IgG antibody-positive and hantavirus-positive rates by RT-PCR. A total of 2,364 small mammals were captured over 11,300 trap nights (capture rate = 20.92%). Apodemus agrarius was the most commonly collected (76.65%), with capture rates of 9.62% and 21.70% for Cp Humphreys and the expansion site, respectively. Overall, Hantaan virus (HTNV) IgG antibody-positive (Ab+) rate for A. agrarius was 2.15% (39/1,812). A total of 5.43% (10/184) Crocidura lasiura, 0.79% (2/254) Microtus fortis and 2.44% (1/41) Micromys minutus were serologically IgG Ab+ for hantaviruses. HTNV-specific RT-PCR demonstrated that 28.2% (11/39) HTNV Ab+ A. agrarius harbored the 328-nt sequence of the GC glycoprotein-encoding M segment of HTNV. Among them, the whole genome sequences of 3 HTNV strains were obtained by conventional RT-PCR and Rapid Amplification cDNA Ends PCR. Phylogenetic analyses of the HTNV strains from Cp Humphreys and the expansion site, Pyeongtaek, show a greater diversity of rodent-borne hantaviruses compared to HTNV previously identified in Gyeonggi province of the ROK. Thus, this study provides significant insights for raising HFRS threat awareness, analysis, and risk reduction strategies in southern Gyeonggi province.