Deadly rodent virus found spreading in Sweden, raising alarm about zoonotic disease risk
Researchers discovered a Finnish strain of Puumala virus in Swedish bank voles far south of where it was previously known to exist, linked to two human deaths. The finding signals that hantavirus—a potentially fatal infection transmitted from rodents—may be expanding its geographic range, prompting urgent questions about rodent control and public health preparedness.
Originaltitel: Nephropathia Epidemica Caused by Puumala Virus in Bank Voles, Scania, Southern Sweden
<p>In 2018, a local case of nephropathia epidemica was reported in Scania, southern Sweden, more than 500 km south of the previously known presence of human hantavirus infections in Sweden. Another case emerged in the same area in 2020. To investigate the zoonotic origin of those cases, we trapped rodents in Ballingsl & ouml;v, Norra Sandby, and S & ouml;rby in southern Sweden during 2020-2021. We found Puumala virus (PUUV) in lung tissues from 9 of 74 Myodes glareolus bank voles by screening tissues using a hantavirus pan-large segment reverse transcription FOR. Genetic analysis revealed that the PUUV strains were distinct from those found in northern Sweden and Denmark and belonged to the Finnish PUUV lineage. Our findings suggest an introduction of PUUV from Finland or Karelia, causing the human PUUV infections in Scania. This discovery emphasizes the need to understand the evolution, cross-species transmission, and disease outcomes of this newly found PUUV variant.</p>