Seoul Virus Associated with Pet Rats, Scotland, UK, 2019.

We describe a case of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by Seoul virus in a woman in Scotland, UK. Whole-genome sequencing showed the virus belonged to a lineage characterized by recent international expansion, probably driven by trade in pet rats.

Presence and Persistence of Zika Virus RNA in Semen, United Kingdom, 2016.

Zika virus RNA has been detected in semen collected several months after onset of symptoms of infection. Given the potential for sexual transmission of Zika virus and for serious fetal abnormalities resulting from infection during pregnancy, information regarding the persistence of Zika virus in semen is critical for advancing our understanding of potential risks. We tested serial semen samples from symptomatic male patients in the United Kingdom who had a diagnosis of imported Zika virus infection.

A non-fatal case of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome imported into the UK (ex Panama), July 2014.

• Detection of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome imported into Europe. • Additional evidence that is currently circulating and causing human disease in Panama. • Novel diagnostic and sequencing assays for identifying cases of infection.

Patient characteristics and severity of human rhinovirus infections in children.

Background: It is increasingly recognized that human rhinoviruses (HRV) can be associated with severe infections. However, conflicting results have been reported on the relative prevalence and severity of the three HRV species.

Objectives: The relative prevalence and clinical characteristics of HRV-A, B and C, in children attending a South London teaching hospital were investigated retrospectively.

Lineages, sub-lineages and variants of enterovirus 68 in recent outbreaks.

Enterovirus 68 (EV68) was first isolated in 1962. Very few cases of EV68 infection were described over the ensuing 40 years. However, in the past few years, an increase in severe respiratory tract infections associated with EV68 has been reported.