Genetic characterization of a new hantavirus detected inMicrotus arvalis from Slovakia

Abstract
A new hantavirus, called Malacky, has been identified in lung tissue specimens of a vole,Microtus arvalis, by the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The voles were trapped in a geographical area in Slovakia where hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is endemic in the human population. Sequence analysis of a major part of the S segment showed this virus to represent a new subtype within Tula, a new hantavirus genetic group defined very recently.