Jin‐Won Song

Until recently, the single known exception to the rodent-hantavirus association was Thottapalayam virus (TPMV), a long-unclassified virus isolated from the Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus). Robust gene amplification techniques have now uncovered several genetically distinct hantaviruses from shrews in widely separated geographic regions. Here, we report the characterization of a newly identified hantavirus, designated Imjin virus (MJNV), isolated from the lung tissues of Ussuri white-toothed s

Sequence analysis of the full-length medium segment and the partial small and large segments of a hantavirus, detected by reverse transcription-PCR in lung tissues of the Chinese mole shrew (Anourosorex squamipes) captured in Cao Bang Province, Vietnam, in December 2006, indicated that it is genetically distinct from rodentborne hantaviruses.

Paramyxoviruses, negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses, pose a critical threat to human public health. Currently, 78 species, 17 genera, and 4 subfamilies of paramyxoviruses are harbored by multiple natural reservoirs, including rodents, bats, birds, reptiles, and fish. Henipaviruses are critical zoonotic pathogens that cause severe acute respiratory distress and neurological diseases in humans. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, 115 <i>Crocidura</i> species individuals

This study is the first report to demonstrate the molecular prevalence of HTNV in Gangwon province. Whole genome sequencing of HTNV showed well-supported geographic lineages and the molecular diversity in the northern region of ROK due to a natural reassortment of HTNV genomes. These observations contribute to a better understanding of the genetic diversity and molecular evolution of hantaviruses. Also, the full-length of HTNV tripartite genomes will provide a database for phylogeographic analys

This study demonstrates a major shift in molecular epidemiological surveillance of HTNV. Active targeted surveillance was performed at sites of suspected infections, allowing the high-resolution phylogeographic analysis to reveal the site of emergence of HTNV. We posit that this novel approach will make it possible to identify infectious sources, perform disease risk assessment, and implement preparedness against vector-borne viruses.

Adenoviruses (family Adenoviridae) infect various organ systems and cause diseases in a wide range of host species. In this study, we examined multiple tissues from Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica), collected in Antarctica during 2009 and 2010, for the presence of novel adenoviruses by PCR. Analysis of a 855-bp region of the hexon gene of a newly identified adenovirus, designated Chinstrap penguin adenovirus 1 (CSPAdV-1), showed nucleotide (amino acid) sequence identity of 71.8% (65.5%

Rodent-borne disease surveillance was conducted at Nightmare Range (NM-R), near the demilitarized zone in northeast Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea, to identify hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) risks for a mountainous high-elevation (500 m) military training site. Monthly surveys were conducted from January 2008-December 2009. A total of 1,720 small mammals were captured belonging to the Orders Rodentia [Families, Sciuridae (1 species) and Muridae (7 species)] and Soricomorpha [

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a serious threat to public health worldwide. We used multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) to derive information on viral genetic diversity and conduct precise phylogenetic analysis. Four HAV genome sequences were obtained using multiplex PCR-based NGS. HAV whole-genome sequence of one sample was obtained by conventional Sanger sequencing. The HAV strains demonstrated a geographic cluster with sub-genotype IA strains in the Re

Amplicon-based next-generation sequencing is a robust tool for whole-genome sequencing of SFTSV using the nanopore platform. The molecular prevalence and geographical distribution of SFTSV enhanced the phylogeographic map at high resolution for sophisticated prevention of emerging SFTS in endemic areas. Our findings provide important insights into the rapid whole-genome sequencing and genetic diversity for the genome-based diagnosis of SFTSV in the endemic outbreak.

Our results suggest that whole or partial genome sequences of HTNV from the urine enabled to track the putative infection sites of patients with HFRS by phylogeographically linking to the zoonotic HTNV from the reservoir host captured at endemic regions. This report raises awareness among physicians for the presence of HTNV in the urine of patients with HFRS.

VirPipe source code and documentation are freely available for download at https://github.com/KijinKims/VirPipe, implemented in Python and Nextflow.

Small mammal surveillance was conducted (2008-2010, 2012) at Camp (Cp) Humphreys, a US Army installation and new expansion site, Republic of Korea (ROK), to identify hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome health threats to US military/civilian populations during its ongoing expansion phase. Small mammals were collected using Sherman live capture traps and transported to Korea University where they were euthanized, tissues removed, and assayed to determine hantavirus IgG antibody-positive and hant