Hantaviruses, members of the family Bunyaviridae, are causative agents of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Hantaan (HTN) virus, the etiologic agent of clinically severe HFRS in Far East Asia, Russia and the Balkans, was first isolated in 1976 from lung tissues of striped-field mice (Apodemus agrarius) captured in Songnae-ri, Kyungki-do, Korea. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in vertebrates evolve very rapidly, and hence it can provide a high resolution for distinguishing between closely related organism and species. To clarify the phylogenetic relationship of HTN viruses with their natural rodent host, a part of M segment of HTN virus and 424-nucleotide region of cytochrome b gene of mtDNA were amplified and sequenced from tissues of striped-field mice by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and PCR, respectively. A 324-nucleotide region of G2 glycoprotein-encoding M segment of HTN virus was amplified from lung tissues of A. agrarius mice, revealed 84-86% sequence similarity with Apodemus-borne HTN virus strains from China. The co-speciation of Apodemus-borne hantaviruses with its natural reservoir rodents, A. agrarius and A. flavicollis, be found. A. agrarius rodent population from South Korea had almost same genetic background irrespective of their geographic origin. HTN virus strains from South Korea shared a common ancestry and were evolutionarily distinct from HTN viruses kom China. We have found no evidence for the presence of phylogenetic relationship of A. agrarius-borne Korean HTN virus strains with the genetic diversity of their rodent host captured in Korea based on cytochrome b gene of mtDNA.
Animals ; Asia ; Balkan Peninsula ; Bunyaviridae ; China ; Cytochromes b ; DNA, Mitochondrial* ; Far East ; Genetic Variation ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hantaan virus* ; Hantavirus ; Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung ; Mice* ; Murinae* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rodentia* ; Russia ; Vertebrates

OBJECTIVE: Penetrating brain trauma (PBT) caused by gunshot is one of the most lethal traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and its management and confrontation is of great importance. METHODS: The authors searched retrospectively the archives from 2 similar autonomous laboratories of forensic science and toxicology in the Balkan peninsula for a 10-year period of time and included only fatal penetrating brain injuries. RESULTS: The study is conducted in 61 cadavers with gunshot PBT. All of the cadavers were victims of suicide attempt. The most common anatomical localization on the skull were the facial bones, followed by skull base, temporal and parietal bone, conducting a trajectory of the gunshot. Additional findings were atherosclerosis of the blood vessels and chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer and fatty liver. CONCLUSION: PBI has a high mortality rate. There are factors and findings from the collected data differing between the 2 aforementioned nations. Either way, better preventative measures, gun control and healthcare system are highly necessary.
Atherosclerosis ; Balkan Peninsula ; Blood Vessels ; Brain Injuries ; Brain ; Bulgaria ; Cadaver ; Chronic Disease ; Delivery of Health Care ; Ethnic Groups ; Facial Bones ; Fatty Liver ; Forensic Sciences ; Greece ; Head Injuries, Penetrating ; Humans ; Mortality ; Parietal Bone ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Retrospective Studies ; Skull ; Skull Base ; Suicide ; Toxicology ; Wounds, Gunshot