Mert Erdin

The polytomous topology of ML trees and distant evolutionary relationship revealed how much wildlife surveillance is lacking.

Hepatitis E infections are mostly neglected due to its self-limiting and mild nature of disease, but it can cause severe infections in immunocompromised individuals and women during pregnancy, which infections may pose a threat to unborn.

Genetic characterization of rat hepatitis E virus (Rocahepevirus ratti) in urban brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) in Helsinki, Finland - Archives of Virology We report complete and partial genome sequences of rat hepatitis E virus (RHEV, Rocahepevirus ratti), from archived brown rats captured in Helsinki, Finland. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the presence of the pathogenic RHEV genotype C1 in the Helsinki region. Finnish strains clustered together with strains from South Korea and Spain. However, the polytomous topology of phylogenetic trees and the large genetic distances between spatially distinct strains suggest that RHEV has remained inadequately sampled on a global scale. Further surveillance of rocahepeviruses is needed to assess their threat to public health and to understand their diversity and evolutionary patterns.

Phylogenetic characterization of Rocahepevirus ratti (Rat Hepatitis E virus) is out now with newly obtained complete and partial genome sequences from Finland.

Check out the paper for more: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Discovery and characterization of Sager Creek virus, a new orthohantavirus in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) - npj Viruses npj Viruses - Discovery and characterization of Sager Creek virus, a new orthohantavirus in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)

A novel member of Hantaviridae in prairie voles, USA; Ortohantavirus sagercreekense as also recently recognized by ICTV. For the discovery and characterization of SACRV : www.nature.com/articles/s44...
@emerginginfections.bsky.social

3/3 SCRV was detected in prairie voles and it clustered with Arvicolinae-borne New World Orthohantaviruses. It's closely related with Prospect hill virus which its pathogenic potential is questionable. We are still working on in depth characterization and hopefully will release the study soon.

Novel Ozark Orthohantavirus in Hispid Cotton Rats (<em>Sigmodon hispidus</em>), Arkansas, USA Novel Ozark Orthohantavirus in Hispid Cotton Rats (<em>Sigmodon hispidus</em>), Arkansas, USA

2/3 OZAV was detected in hispid cotton rats, and phylogenetic analysis showed its close relationship with Black creek canal virus and Bayou virus, which both are known to infect humans and cause HCPS. One should watch OZAV for its potential to infect humans.

wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...

Summary of taxonomy changes ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) from the Animal dsRNA and ssRNA(−) Viruses Subcommittee, 2025 RNA viruses are ubiquitous in the environment and are important pathogens of humans, animals and plants. In 2024, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses Animal dsRNA and ssRNA(−) Viruses S...

1/3 Two novel member species for genus Orthohantavirus that we detected and characterized with our collaborators from the university of Arkansas: Orthohantavirus ozarkense (Ozark virus; OZAV) and O. sagercreekense (Sager creek virus; SCRV)

www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...

The recency and geographical origins of the bat viruses ancestral to SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 Recombination-aware evolutionary analyses of the entire genomes of SARS-CoV-1-like and SARS-CoV-2-like viruses indicate that SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 descend from bat coronaviruses that circulated as...

Comparative phylogeography and recombination patterns of SARS CoV-1 and SARS CoV-2 related viruses. Both are derived from recent recombinations in their host bats, and then emerged in human hundreds of miles from their wild reservoirs.

www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Novel human coronavirus in an infant patient with pneumonia, Republic of Korea Coronaviruses (CoVs) pose a significant threat to public health, causing a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and outcomes. Beyond precipitating global outbreaks, Human CoVs (HCoVs) are frequ...

Another zoonotic (alpha) coronavirus. Closely related to the rodent virus AcCoV-JC34 that contains a putative furin cleavage site. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Priority pathogens: UK draws up new disease-threat watch list Some are viruses with global pandemic potential - like Covid - others infectious illnesses with no treatments.

www.bbc.com/news/article...