Molecular epidemiology of paramyxoviruses in rodents in southern China

Abstract

Rodents are well-known major reservoirs and vectors of numerous viruses, including paramyxovirus. At least seven paramyxoviruses to date have been discovered from rodents. Owing to the great species diversity and population abundance of rodents, this provides an environment for harboring novel viruses and potential cross species transmission. A molecular epidemiological study was performed to investigate the prevalence of paramyxovirus in rodents in Southern China. A total of 614 rodents and shrews in Guangdong and Hong Kong were screened for paramyxovirus targeting partial conserved region of L gene. Twenty-three samples (1.25%) were positive for paramyxovirus; 21 samples were identified as Beilong virus while the other two were unknown viruses which were similar to Rodent paramyxovirus MpR12-59 (77%) and Rodent paramyxovirus MpR12-62 (79%), respectively, in terms of nucleotide similarity. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these unknown paramyxoviruses were evolutionarily related to Beilong virus, Tailam virus, and Henipavirus respectively. Moreover, there are at least two different strains of Beilong virus exist in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province. Therefore, ongoing surveillance and whole genome studies are crucial for in-depth understanding of the pathogenicity and evolution of these rodent paramyxoviruses.