Retrieval of the Complete Coding Sequence of the UK-Endemic Tatenale Orthohantavirus Reveals Extensive Strain Variation and Supports its Classification as a Novel Species

Abstract

Hantaviruses are a diverse group of single-stranded, negative-sensed RNA viruses, known to cause sporadic outbreaks of potentially fatal human disease. To date, only two Orthohantavirus species have been detected in the UK - Seoul virus and Tatenale. Whilst Seoul is known to be pathogenic in humans, only partial fragments of Tatenale have been recovered, precluding any accurate analysis of its phylogeny or potential pathogenicity. To overcome this shortfall we used a degenerate primer PCR method to identify Tatenale-infection in rodents living in two separate locations in the UK. PCR positive samples were then subjected to either unbiased high-throughput sequencing or overlapping PCR product sequencing to recover the complete coding sequence of the Tatenale virus. This analysis provided in-depth insight into the evolutionary origins of this recently identified UK Orthohantavirus and unequivocally showed that Tatenale virus meets the established criteria for classification as a novel species. Crucially, our data will facilitate in vitro investigation into the zoonotic potential of Tatenale virus.