First Detection of Heartland Virus (Bunyaviridae: Phlebovirus) from Field Collected Arthropods

Overview

Journal Am J Trop Med Hyg

Specialty Tropical Medicine

Date 2013 Jul 24

PMID 23878186

Citations 126

Authors

Harry M Savage

Marvin S Godsey

Amy Lambert

Nicholas A Panella

Kristen L Burkhalter

Jessica R Harmon

R Ryan Lash

David C Ashley

William L Nicholson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Heartland virus (HRTV), the first pathogenic Phlebovirus (Family: Bunyaviridae) discovered in the United States, was recently described from two Missouri farmers. In 2012, we collected 56,428 ticks representing three species at 12 sites including both patients' farms. Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis accounted for nearly all ticks collected. Ten pools composed of deplete nymphs of A. americanum collected at a patient farm and a nearby conservation area were reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction positive, and eight pools yielded viable viruses. Sequence data from the nonstructural protein of the Small segment indicates that tick strains and human strains are very similar, ≥ 97.6% sequence identity. This is the first study to isolate HRTV from field-collected arthropods and to implicate ticks as potential vectors. Amblyomma americanum likely becomes infected by feeding on viremic hosts during the larval stage, and transmission to humans occurs during the spring and early summer when nymphs are abundant and actively host seeking.

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