A novel mammarenavirus (family Arenaviridae) in hedgehogs (Erinaceus roumanicus) in Europe
Gábor Reuter, Ákos Boros, Károly Takáts, Róbert Mátics, Péter Pankovics
Abstract
In this study, a novel mammarenavirus (family Arenaviridae) was identified in a hedgehog (family Erinaceidae) in Hungary and genetically characterized. Mecsek Mountains virus (MEMV, OP191655, OP191656) was detected in nine (45%) out of 20 faecal specimens collected from a Northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus). The L-segment proteins (RdRp and Z) and S-segment proteins (NP and GPC) of MEMV had 67.5%/70% and 74.6%/65.6% amino acid sequence identity, respectively, to the corresponding proteins of Alxa virus (species Mammarenavirus alashanense) identified recently in an anal swab from a three-toed jerboa (Dipus sagitta) in China. MEMV is the second known arenavirus endemic in Europe.