Characterization of a new Puumala virus genotype associated with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome

Hantavirus serotype Puumala (PUUV) is the etiologic agent of Nephropathia epidemica (NE), a mild variant of Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) in Europe, with lethality rates up to 1% among human patients. The serotype PUUV is composed of numerous geographically restricted strains forming a great number of phylogeographic lineages, sublineages, variants, and clusters. We describe a new, geographically and phylogenetically well-defined pathogenic PUUV sublineage in Southwest Germany (strain Heidelberg/hu) originated from an HFRS patient. The genetic analysis of PUUV strain Heidelberg/hu may contribute in future to better diagnostics, the development of vaccines, and the understanding of the factors that determine hantavirus pathogenesis.