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Santos-Silva S, Moraes DFDSD, López-López P, Paupério J, Queirós J, Rivero-Juarez A, Lux L, Ulrich RG, Gonçalves HMR, Van der Poel WHM, Nascimento MSJ, Mesquita JR. Detection of hepatitis E virus genotype 3 in an Algerian mouse (Mus spretus) in Portugal. Vet Res Commun 2024; 48:1803-1812. [PMID: 38243141 PMCID: PMC11147874 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-024-10293-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Virus monitoring in small mammals is central to the design of epidemiological control strategies for rodent-borne zoonotic viruses. Synanthropic small mammals are versatile and may be potential carriers of several microbial agents. In the present work, a total of 330 fecal samples of small mammals were collected at two sites in the North of Portugal and screened for zoonotic hepatitis E virus (HEV, species Paslahepevirus balayani). Synanthropic small mammal samples (n = 40) were collected in a city park of Porto and belonged to the species Algerian mouse (Mus spretus) (n = 26) and to the greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) (n = 14). Furthermore, additional samples were collected in the Northeast region of Portugal and included Algerian mouse (n = 48), greater white-toothed shrew (n = 47), wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) (n = 43), southwestern water vole (Arvicola sapidus) (n = 52), Cabrera's vole (Microtus cabrerae) (n = 49) and Lusitanian pine vole (Microtus lusitanicus) (n = 51). A nested RT-PCR targeting a part of open reading frame (ORF) 2 region of the HEV genome was used followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. HEV RNA was detected in one fecal sample (0.3%; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.01-1.68) from a synanthropic Algerian mouse that was genotyped as HEV-3, subgenotype 3e. This is the first study reporting the detection of HEV-3 in a synanthropic rodent, the Algerian mouse. The identified HEV isolate is probably the outcome of either a spill-over infection from domestic pigs or wild boars, or the result of passive viral transit through the intestinal tract. This finding reinforces the importance in the surveillance of novel potential hosts for HEV with a particular emphasis on synanthropic animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sérgio Santos-Silva
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Pedro López-López
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Clinical Virology and Zoonoses, Instituto Maimonides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Universidad de Córdoba (UCO), Cordoba, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research Network (CIBER) in Infectious Diseases, Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joana Paupério
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Welcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - João Queirós
- CIBIO-Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre s/n, Porto, 4169-007, Portugal
- EBM, Estação Biológica de Mértola, Mértola, 7750-329, Portugal
| | - António Rivero-Juarez
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Clinical Virology and Zoonoses, Instituto Maimonides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Universidad de Córdoba (UCO), Cordoba, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research Network (CIBER) in Infectious Diseases, Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Lux
- University of Greifswald, Domstraße 11, 17489, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Rainer G Ulrich
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Helena M R Gonçalves
- REQUIMTE, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Biosensor NTech - Nanotechnology Services, Avenida da Liberdade, 249, 1º Andar, Lda, Lisboa, 1250-143, Portugal
| | - Wim H M Van der Poel
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department Virology & Molecular Biology, Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | | | - João R Mesquita
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
- Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIUnit), Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
- Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), Porto, Portugal.
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de Cock MP, de Vries A, Fonville M, Esser HJ, Mehl C, Ulrich RG, Joeres M, Hoffmann D, Eisenberg T, Schmidt K, Hulst M, van der Poel WHM, Sprong H, Maas M. Increased rat-borne zoonotic disease hazard in greener urban areas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:165069. [PMID: 37392874 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Urban greening has benefits for both human and environmental health. However, urban greening might also have negative effects as the abundance of wild rats, which can host and spread a great diversity of zoonotic pathogens, increases with urban greenness. Studies on the effect of urban greening on rat-borne zoonotic pathogens are currently unavailable. Therefore, we investigated how urban greenness is associated with rat-borne zoonotic pathogen prevalence and diversity, and translated this to human disease hazard. We screened 412 wild rats (Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus) from three cities in the Netherlands for 18 different zoonotic pathogens: Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Spiroplasma spp., Streptobacillus moniliformis, Coxiella burnetii, Salmonella spp., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)/AmpC-producing Escherichia coli, rat hepatitis E virus (ratHEV), Seoul orthohantavirus, Cowpox virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Toxoplasma gondii and Babesia spp. We modelled the relationships between pathogen prevalence and diversity and urban greenness. We detected 13 different zoonotic pathogens. Rats from greener urban areas had a significantly higher prevalence of Bartonella spp. and Borrelia spp., and a significantly lower prevalence of ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli and ratHEV. Rat age was positively correlated with pathogen diversity while greenness was not related to pathogen diversity. Additionally, Bartonella spp. occurrence was positively correlated with that of Leptospira spp., Borrelia spp. and Rickettsia spp., and Borrelia spp. occurrence was also positively correlated with that of Rickettsia spp. Our results show an increased rat-borne zoonotic disease hazard in greener urban areas, which for most pathogens was driven by the increase in rat abundance rather than pathogen prevalence. This highlights the importance of keeping rat densities low and investigating the effects of urban greening on the exposure to zoonotic pathogens in order to make informed decisions and to take appropriate countermeasures preventing zoonotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke P de Cock
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Gelderland, the Netherlands.
| | - Ankje de Vries
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Manoj Fonville
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Helen J Esser
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Gelderland, the Netherlands.
| | - Calvin Mehl
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Germany; Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Greifswald-Insel Riems, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
| | - Rainer G Ulrich
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Germany; Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Greifswald-Insel Riems, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
| | - Maike Joeres
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
| | - Donata Hoffmann
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
| | - Tobias Eisenberg
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Hessian State Laboratory, Giessen, Hessen, Germany.
| | - Katja Schmidt
- Microbiological Diagnostics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
| | - Marcel Hulst
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University & Research, Lelystad, Flevoland, the Netherlands.
| | - Wim H M van der Poel
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Gelderland, the Netherlands; Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University & Research, Lelystad, Flevoland, the Netherlands.
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Miriam Maas
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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