Isolation, characterization and geographic distribution of Cano Delgadito virus, a newly discovered South American hantavirus (family Bunyaviridae)

Rodents collected from the Venezuelan llanos (plains) during held studies of viral hemorrhagic fever were tested for evidence of hantavirus infection. Hantavirus antibody was found in one (7.7%) of 13 Oryzomys bicolor, one (3.4%) of 29 Rattus rattus, 10 (6.0%) of 166 Sigmodon alstoni and one (2.2%) of 45 Zygodontomys brevicauda. Hantavirus-specific RNA was detected in lung tissues from four antibody-positive rodents: two S. alstoni from Portuguesa State and one S. alstoni each from Cojedes and Barinas States. A hantavirus isolate (herein identified as VHV-574) was recovered from lung tissue from a hantavirus RNA-positive S. alstoni collected from Portuguesa State. The results of serological tests and analyses of small and medium RNA segment nucleotide sequence data indicated that VHV-574 represents a navel hantavirus (proposed name 'Cano Delgadito') that is distinct from all previously characterized hantaviruses. The results of analyses of nucleotide sequence data from the four hantavirus RNA-positive S. alstoni suggested that Cano Delgadito virus is widely distributed in the Venezuelan llanos.