Alimentary Tract as Entry Route for Hantavirus Infection
Abstract
Hantaviruses are zoonotic agents that cause hemorrhagic fever with renal and/or cardiopulmonary manifestations, reaching fatality rates of up to 50 . A large proportion of hantavirus patients also suffer from gastrointestinal complications of unclear cause. Puumala hantavirus (PUUV), the predominant endemic hantavirus in Europe, is associated with mild forms of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. PUUV is transmitted to humans by exposure to aerosolized excrement from infected rodents. In this study we demonstrate that PUUV can also infect via the alimentary tract. PUUV retains infectivity in gastric juice for at least some time in pH >3 and is able to infect polarized human Caco-2 monolayers. This small intestinal cell model exhibited viral association with endosomal antigen EEA-1, followed by virus replication and loss of epithelial barrier function with concomitant basolateral (serosal) occurrence of viruses. Cellular disturbance and depletion of the tight junction protein ZO-1 appeared after prolonged hantavirus infection.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 14, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1035411
Entities
People
- Casey C. Perley
- Christian Juergensen
- Detlev H. Krueger
- Jay W. Hooper
- Joerg-dieter Schulzke
- Peter T. Witkowski
- Rebecca L. Brocato
- Roland Buecker
Organizations
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases