RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 de Vries, A. A1 Vennema, H. A1 Bekker, D. L. A1 Maas, M. A1 Adema, J. A1 Opsteegh, M. A1 van der Giessen, J. W. B. A1 Reusken, C. B. E. M.YR 2016 T1 Characterization of Puumala hantavirus in bank voles from two regions in the Netherlands where human cases occurred JF Journal of General Virology, VO 97 IS 7 SP 1500 OP 1510 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.000481 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) is the most common and widespread hantavirus in Europe and is associated with a mild form of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in humans, called nephropathia epidemica. This study presents the molecular characterization of PUUV circulating in bank voles in two regions of the Netherlands. Most human cases of hantavirus infection are from these two regions. Phylogenetic analysis of the (partial) S, M and L-segments indicated that the Dutch strains belong to the CE lineage, which includes PUUV strains from France, Germany and Belgium. We have identified two distinct groups of PUUV, corresponding with their geographic origin and with adjoining regions in neighbouring countries., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/jgv.0.000481