Guo, LingLi, BeiHan, PeiyuDong, NaZhu, YanLi, FuliSi, HaoruiShi, ZhengliWang, BoYang, XinglouZhang, Yunzhi2024-02-012024-02-012023-11-28Guo, L.; Li, B.; Han, P.; Dong, N.; Zhu, Y.; Li, F.; Si, H.; Shi, Z.; Wang, B.; Yang, X.; Zhang, Y. Identification of a Novel Hepacivirus in Southeast Asian Shrew (Crocidura fuliginosa) from Yunnan Province, China. Pathogens 2023, 12, 1400.https://hdl.handle.net/10919/117815The genus <i>Hepacivirus</i> contains single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses belonging to the family <i>Flaviviridae</i>, which comprises 14 species. These 14 hepaciviruses have been found in different mammals, such as primates, dogs, bats, and rodents. To date, <i>Hepacivirus</i> has not been reported in the shrew genus of <i>Crocidura</i>. To study the prevalence and genetic evolution of <i>Hepacivirus</i> in small mammals in Yunnan Province, China, molecular detection of <i>Hepacivirus</i> in small mammals from Yunnan Province during 2016 and 2017 was performed using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Our results showed that the overall infection rate of <i>Hepacivirus</i> in small mammals was 0.12% (2/1602), and the host animal was the Southeast Asian shrew (<i>Crocidura fuliginosa</i>) (12.5%, 2/16). Quantitative real-time PCR showed that <i>Hepacivirus</i> had the highest viral RNA copy number in the liver. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the hepaciviruses obtained in this study does not belong to any designated species of hepaciviruses and forms an independent clade. To conclude, a novel hepacivirus was identified for the first time in <i>C. fuliginosa</i> specimens from Yunnan Province, China. This study expands the host range and viral diversity of hepaciviruses.application/pdfenCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 InternationalArticle - Refereed2023-12-22https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12121400