Emerging viruses in West and South Africa: Molecular identification and characterization of rodent- and shrew-borne hantaviruses and assessment of their public health potential

汉坦病毒属于布尼亚病毒科，是一种新出现的病毒，可引起两种危及生命的人畜共患病：肾综合征出血热和汉坦病毒心肺综合征。这些病毒是从动物宿主传播给人类的。根据我们最近在非洲啮齿动物和地鼠宿主中发现的汉坦病毒及其对人类健康的重大影响，德国和非洲小组的联合项目将评估非洲西部和南部汉坦病毒及其天然动物宿主的生物多样性，新发现的病毒的生物学特性以及非洲汉坦病毒的临床意义。这一努力将促进在非洲实验室检测和鉴定汉坦病毒和其他新出现的病毒的能力建设，并发展病毒诊断和公共卫生专门知识，以控制由啮齿动物传播的人畜共患传染病。

Hantaviruses, members of the family Bunyaviridae, are emerging viruses causing two life-threatening human zoonoses; hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. The viruses are transmitted from animal reservoirs to humans. Based on our recent findings of hantaviruses in rodent as well as shrew reservoirs in Africa and their substantial implications in human health, the joint project of German and African groups will evaluate the biodiversity of hantaviruses and their natural animal reservoirs in western and southern Africa, the biological properties of the newly discovered viruses and the clinical significance of the African hantaviruses. This effort will result in capacity building for the detection and characterization of hantaviruses and other emerging viruses in African laboratories and to the development of virus-diagnostic and public health expertise for the control of rodent-borne zoonotic infections.