Abstract
Truncated recombinant nucleocapsid proteins (trNs) that lack N-terminally located cross-reactive epitopes of four Murinae rodent-associated hantaviruses, Seoul virus (SEOV), Thailand virus, Hantaan virus (HTNV) and Dobrava-Berglade virus, were produced by using a baculovirus expression system. ELISA with the trNs as antigens enabled serotyping of immune sera from rats experimentally inoculated with the corresponding hantaviruses as cut-off OD values of 60% to those to whole N of HTNV. The trN based ELISA could serotype 12 out of 13 sera obtained from wild rodent (Rattus norvegicus) naturally infected with SEOV by the 60% cut-off value. These results indicate that screening with whole N followed by serotyping with trNs as cut-off OD value of 60% to that with whole N is an useful method for serological surveillance of Murinae-associated hantavirus infection among rodents.
