The molecular phylogenetics of the genus Oligoryzomys (Rodentia: Cricetidae) clarifies rodent host-Hantavirus associations

GONZÁLEZ ITTIG RE, RIVERA PC, LEVIS SC, CALDERÓN GE & GARDENAL CN

ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2014 vol. 171 p. 457 - 474

0024-4082

Several species of the genus Oligoryzomys are natural hosts of different hantavirus genotypes affecting humans. The systematics of the genus is confusing, which complicates the identification of the rodent host and hence, the potential endemic areas of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. In this study, we analyse molecular data to infer phylogenetic relationships among Central and South American specimens of Oligoryzomys and compare our results with previously published data on karyotypic, geographic distribution and host-virus associations to solve contradictory taxonomic reports. We identified 25 clades, each one corresponding to a different putative species. The phylogenetic trees show that O. longicaudatus is strongly related to the O. flavescens complex, which comprises four clades; O. nigripes is related to O. stramineus, O. vegetus to O. fulvescens from Central America and O. brendae is the sister species of O. aff. destructor. We identified the following rodent host-hantavirus genotypes relationships: O. longicaudatus-Andes, O. flavescens ?West?-Bermejo, O. flavescens ?East?-Lechiguanas, O. nigripes-Juquitiba, O. microtis-Rio Mamore and Rio Mamore-3, O. chacoensis-Oran, O. costaricencis-Choclo, O. delicatus-Maporal, O. utiaritensis-Castelo dos Sonhos, Oligoryzomys sp. RT2012-Rio Mamore-4, Oligoryzomys sp. (and not O. fornesi)-Anajatuba. This work, besides contributing to develop prevention programs for the hantavirus epidemiology in Latin America, represents a comprehensive update of the systematics of the genus Oligoryzomys.