Orthohantavirus Diversity in Central-East Argentina: Insights from Complete Genomic Sequencing on Phylogenetics, Geographic patterns and Transmission scenarios.

Abstract

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), characterized by its high fatality rate, poses a significant public health concern in the Americas. Phylogenetic relationships of orthohantaviruses in the country were inferred from partial genomic sequences. The objectives of this work were to report new complete viral genomes of the known viral variants associated with HPS cases in Central-East region of Argentina, to assess viral diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and to elucidate the geographic patterns of distribution of each variant. To accomplish this, a detailed analysis was conducted of the geographic distribution of reported cases within the most impacted province of the region. The phylogenetic analysis defined clearly separated clades in the country according to their geographic origin. Andes virus (ANDV) segregated from the rest of the sequences, and those representative from the Central East region, Buenos Aires (BAV) and Lechiguanas virus (LECV), were grouped in the same cluster but segregated in two different branches. ImportanceIn Argentina, most of the HPS cases were associated with ANDV and closely related viruses distributed in four endemic regions. This work focused on obtaining and studying the complete genome of the orthohantaviruses present in the Central East (CE) region (BAV and LECV). Both viruses were responsible for major and minor outbreaks of person- to-person transmission in the country, and the findings may pave the way to study the impact of genetic determinants of viral transmission and to consider the reclassification of the species Orthohantavirus andesense.