Seoul hantavirus as a cause of acute kidney injury in the United Kingdom



Jameson, Lisa Jane
Seoul hantavirus as a cause of acute kidney injury in the United Kingdom. PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

Hantaviruses are a group of rodent-borne viruses. Seoul hantavirus is considered to be the only global hantavirus, although reported human cases outside of Asia are rare. Human infection occurs when breathing in aerosols of excreta from infected rodents. Hantaviruses have been listed as a major impacting factor leading to a rise in acute kidney injury (AKI) throughout the Western world. In the UK, historically, there was evidence for human and animal exposure to hantaviruses demonstrated by the detection of specific antibodies and classic renal disease, however it is only during this study that existence of a UK hantavirus in wild rodent populations has been proven. Since 2012, several cases of acute AKI due to hantavirus infection in the UK have been confirmed. Two cases were from Yorkshire and had documented exposure to wild rats. Wild rodents were trapped from the farm belonging to one of the patient’s and a strain of Seoul virus, named Humber virus, was isolated from rats. Subsequent cases of AKI were in people with exposure to specially-bred pet fancy rats. Rats from one private breeding colony were tested and a second highly similar Seoul virus, named Cherwell virus, was described. Evidence for Cherwell virus was demonstrated in a human sample with genetic data of the virus recoverable from a serum sample. It was 100% identical to the pet rat strain, thus confirming SEOV as the causative agent of the patient’s AKI. These findings have implications for public health as Seoul virus is capable of causing moderate-severe human disease. The overarching aim of the thesis was to confirm hantaviruses cause human infection in the UK and raise clinical awareness; this was achieved.

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Additional Information: Date: 2015-04 (completed)
Subjects: ?? QR355 ??
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 12 Aug 2015 08:57
Last Modified: 17 Dec 2022 01:27
DOI: 10.17638/02009807
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/2009807