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Wang YXG, Voutilainen L, Aminikhah M, Helle H, Huitu O, Laakkonen J, Lindén A, Niemimaa J, Sane J, Sironen T, Vapalahti O, Henttonen H, Kallio ER. The impact of wildlife and environmental factors on hantavirus infection in the host and its translation into human risk. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222470. [PMID: 37040809 PMCID: PMC10089723 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying factors that drive infection dynamics in reservoir host populations is essential in understanding human risk from wildlife-originated zoonoses. We studied zoonotic Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) in the host, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), populations in relation to the host population, rodent and predator community and environment-related factors and whether these processes are translated into human infection incidence. We used 5-year rodent trapping and bank vole PUUV serology data collected from 30 sites located in 24 municipalities in Finland. We found that PUUV seroprevalence in the host was negatively associated with the abundance of red foxes, but this process did not translate into human disease incidence, which showed no association with PUUV seroprevalence. The abundance of weasels, the proportion of juvenile bank voles in the host populations and rodent species diversity were negatively associated with the abundance index of PUUV positive bank voles, which, in turn, showed a positive association with human disease incidence. Our results suggest certain predators, a high proportion of young bank vole individuals, and a diverse rodent community, may reduce PUUV risk for humans through their negative impacts on the abundance of infected bank voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying X. G. Wang
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, 40014 Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - Liina Voutilainen
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, 00271 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mahdi Aminikhah
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Heikki Helle
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, 40014 Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - Otso Huitu
- Wildlife Ecology Group, Natural Resources Institute Finland, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juha Laakkonen
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Andreas Lindén
- Wildlife Ecology Group, Natural Resources Institute Finland, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jukka Niemimaa
- Research infrastructure services, Natural Resources Institute Finland, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jussi Sane
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, 00271 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tarja Sironen
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olli Vapalahti
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, 00029 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heikki Henttonen
- Wildlife Ecology Group, Natural Resources Institute Finland, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eva R. Kallio
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, 40014 Jyvaskyla, Finland
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Hönig V, Kamiš J, Maršíková A, Matějková T, Stopka P, Mácová A, Růžek D, Kvičerová J. Orthohantaviruses in Reservoir and Atypical Hosts in the Czech Republic: Spillover Infection and Indication of Virus-Specific Tissue Tropism. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0130622. [PMID: 36169417 PMCID: PMC9604079 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01306-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Orthohantaviruses (genus Orthohantavirus) are a diverse group of viruses that are closely associated with their natural hosts (rodents, shrews, and moles). Several orthohantaviruses cause severe disease in humans. Central and western Europe are areas with emerging orthohantavirus occurrences. In our study, several orthohantaviruses, including the pathogenic Kurkino virus (KURV), were detected in their natural hosts trapped at several study sites in the Czech Republic. KURV was detected mainly in its typical host, the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius). Nevertheless, spillover infections were also detected in wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) and common voles (Microtus arvalis). Similarly, Tula virus (TULV) was found primarily in common voles, and events of spillover to rodents of other host species, including Apodemus spp., were recorded. In addition, unlike most previous studies, different tissues were sampled and compared to assess their suitability for orthohantavirus screening and possible tissue tropism. Our data suggest possible virus-specific tissue tropism in rodent hosts. TULV was most commonly detected in the lung tissue, whereas KURV was more common in the liver, spleen, and brain. Moreover, Seewis and Asikkala viruses were detected in randomly found common shrews (Sorex araneus). In conclusion, we have demonstrated the presence of human-pathogenic KURV and the potentially pathogenic TULV in their typical hosts as well as their spillover to atypical host species belonging to another family. Furthermore, we suggest the possibility of virus-specific tissue tropism of orthohantaviruses in their natural hosts. IMPORTANCE Orthohantaviruses (genus Orthohantavirus, family Hantaviridae) are a diverse group of globally distributed viruses that are closely associated with their natural hosts. Some orthohantaviruses are capable of infecting humans and causing severe disease. Orthohantaviruses are considered emerging pathogens due to their ever-increasing diversity and increasing numbers of disease cases. We report the detection of four different orthohantaviruses in rodents and shrews in the Czech Republic. Most viruses were found in their typical hosts, Kurkino virus (KURV) in striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius), Tula virus (TULV) in common voles (Microtus arvalis), and Seewis virus in common shrews (Sorex araneus). Nevertheless, spillover infections of atypical host species were also recorded for KURV, TULV, and another shrew-borne orthohantavirus, Asikkala virus. In addition, indications of virus-specific patterns of tissue tropism were observed. Our results highlight the circulation of several orthohantaviruses, including KURV, which is pathogenic to humans, among rodents and shrews in the Czech Republic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Václav Hönig
- Laboratory of Arbovirology, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Infections, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Kamiš
- Laboratory of Arbovirology, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Aneta Maršíková
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Matějková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Biocev, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Stopka
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Biocev, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Mácová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Růžek
- Laboratory of Arbovirology, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Infections, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Kvičerová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Biocev, Vestec, Czech Republic
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Rats and the city: Implications of urbanization on zoonotic disease risk in Southeast Asia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2112341119. [PMID: 36122224 PMCID: PMC9522346 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112341119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is rapidly transforming Southeast Asia, altering the landscape and the interactions between people, animals, and the environment. These changes have the potential to exacerbate many existing health challenges in the region, including those posed by zoonoses. Here, we used a novel, multidisciplinary, ecosystem-level approach to examine the influence of urbanization on zoonotic disease risk in a Southeast Asian city. We infer that urbanization alters the ecology of animal reservoirs, arthropod vectors, and pathogens in a manner that may increase transmission risk from multiple zoonotic diseases in urban areas. This effect was particularly strong for pathogens associated with environmental or tick-borne transmission, providing targets for the development of low-cost interventions to reduce zoonotic disease risk in tropical cities. Urbanization is rapidly transforming much of Southeast Asia, altering the structure and function of the landscape, as well as the frequency and intensity of the interactions between people, animals, and the environment. In this study, we explored the impact of urbanization on zoonotic disease risk by simultaneously characterizing changes in the ecology of animal reservoirs (rodents), ectoparasite vectors (ticks), and pathogens across a gradient of urbanization in Kuching, a city in Malaysian Borneo. We sampled 863 rodents across rural, developing, and urban locations and found that rodent species diversity decreased with increasing urbanization—from 10 species in the rural location to 4 in the rural location. Notably, two species appeared to thrive in urban areas, as follows: the invasive urban exploiter Rattus rattus (n = 375) and the native urban adapter Sundamys muelleri (n = 331). R. rattus was strongly associated with built infrastructure across the gradient and carried a high diversity of pathogens, including multihost zoonoses capable of environmental transmission (e.g., Leptospira spp.). In contrast, S. muelleri was restricted to green patches where it was found at high densities and was strongly associated with the presence of ticks, including the medically important genera Amblyomma, Haemaphysalis, and Ixodes. Our analyses reveal that zoonotic disease risk is elevated and heterogeneously distributed in urban environments and highlight the potential for targeted risk reduction through pest management and public health messaging.
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4
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Pérez‐Umphrey AA, Jonsson CB, Bonisoli‐Alquati A, Snider AM, Stouffer PC, Taylor SS. Sex and habitat drive hantavirus prevalence in marsh rice rat populations impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anna A. Pérez‐Umphrey
- School of Renewable Natural Resources Louisiana State University and AgCenter Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
| | - Colleen B. Jonsson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, University of Tennessee Memphis Tennessee USA
| | - Andrea Bonisoli‐Alquati
- School of Renewable Natural Resources Louisiana State University and AgCenter Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
- Department of Biological Sciences California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Pomona California USA
| | - Allison M. Snider
- School of Renewable Natural Resources Louisiana State University and AgCenter Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
| | - Philip C. Stouffer
- School of Renewable Natural Resources Louisiana State University and AgCenter Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
| | - Sabrina S. Taylor
- School of Renewable Natural Resources Louisiana State University and AgCenter Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
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5
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Vaheri A, Henttonen H, Mustonen J. Hantavirus Research in Finland: Highlights and Perspectives. Viruses 2021; 13:v13081452. [PMID: 34452318 PMCID: PMC8402838 DOI: 10.3390/v13081452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Finland has the highest incidence of hantavirus infections globally, with a significant impact on public health. The large coverage of boreal forests and the cyclic dynamics of the dominant forest rodent species, the bank vole Myodes glareolus, explain most of this. We review the relationships between Puumala hantavirus (PUUV), its host rodent, and the hantavirus disease, nephropathia epidemica (NE), in Finland. We describe the history of NE and its diagnostic research in Finland, the seasonal and multiannual cyclic dynamics of PUUV in bank voles impacting human epidemiology, and we compare our northern epidemiological patterns with those in temperate Europe. The long survival of PUUV outside the host and the life-long shedding of PUUV by the bank voles are highlighted. In humans, the infection has unique features in pathobiology but rarely long-term consequences. NE is affected by specific host genetics and risk behavior (smoking), and certain biomarkers can predict the outcome. Unlike many other hantaviruses, PUUV causes a relatively mild disease and is rarely fatal. Reinfections do not exist. Antiviral therapy is complicated by the fact that when symptoms appear, the patient already has a generalized infection. Blocking vascular leakage measures counteracting pathobiology, offer a real therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antti Vaheri
- Department of Virology, Medicum, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +358-505552884
| | - Heikki Henttonen
- Wildlife Ecology, Natural Resources Institute Finland, 00790 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Jukka Mustonen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, 33520 Tampere, Finland;
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland
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Razzauti M, Castel G, Cosson JF. Impact of Landscape on Host-Parasite Genetic Diversity and Distribution Using the Puumala orthohantavirus-Bank Vole System. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9071516. [PMID: 34361952 PMCID: PMC8306195 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9071516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, host specificity has a strong impact on the parasite's distribution, prevalence, and genetic diversity. The host's population dynamics is expected to shape the distribution of host-specific parasites. In turn, the parasite's genetic structure is predicted to mirror that of the host. Here, we study the tandem Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV)-bank vole system. The genetic diversity of 310 bank voles and 33 PUUV isolates from 10 characterized localities of Northeast France was assessed. Our findings show that the genetic diversity of both PUUV and voles, was positively correlated with forest coverage and contiguity of habitats. While the genetic diversity of voles was weakly structured in space, that of PUUV was found to be strongly structured, suggesting that the dispersion of voles was not sufficient to ensure a broad PUUV dissemination. Genetic diversity of PUUV was mainly shaped by purifying selection. Genetic drift and extinction events were better reflected than local adaptation of PUUV. These contrasting patterns of microevolution have important consequences for the understanding of PUUV distribution and epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Razzauti
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Université Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France;
- Correspondence:
| | - Guillaume Castel
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Université Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France;
| | - Jean-François Cosson
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Université Paris-Est, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France;
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7
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Andreassen HP, Sundell J, Ecke F, Halle S, Haapakoski M, Henttonen H, Huitu O, Jacob J, Johnsen K, Koskela E, Luque-Larena JJ, Lecomte N, Leirs H, Mariën J, Neby M, Rätti O, Sievert T, Singleton GR, van Cann J, Vanden Broecke B, Ylönen H. Population cycles and outbreaks of small rodents: ten essential questions we still need to solve. Oecologia 2021; 195:601-622. [PMID: 33369695 PMCID: PMC7940343 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04810-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Most small rodent populations in the world have fascinating population dynamics. In the northern hemisphere, voles and lemmings tend to show population cycles with regular fluctuations in numbers. In the southern hemisphere, small rodents tend to have large amplitude outbreaks with less regular intervals. In the light of vast research and debate over almost a century, we here discuss the driving forces of these different rodent population dynamics. We highlight ten questions directly related to the various characteristics of relevant populations and ecosystems that still need to be answered. This overview is not intended as a complete list of questions but rather focuses on the most important issues that are essential for understanding the generality of small rodent population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry P Andreassen
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Janne Sundell
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, 16900, Lammi, Finland
| | - Fraucke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogsmarksgränd, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Stefan Halle
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Str. 159, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Marko Haapakoski
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Konnevesi Research Station, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Heikki Henttonen
- Terrestrial Population Dynamics, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Otso Huitu
- Terrestrial Population Dynamics, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jens Jacob
- Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Vertebrate Research, Julius Kühn-Institut, Toppheideweg 88, 48161, Münster, Germany
| | - Kaja Johnsen
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Esa Koskela
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Juan Jose Luque-Larena
- Departamento de Ciencias Agroforestales, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenierıas Agrarias, Universidad de Valladolid, Campus La Yutera, Avenida de Madrid 44, 34004, Palencia, Spain
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal Ecology and Centre D'Études Nordiques, Department of Biology, Université de Moncton, 18 Avenue Antonine-Maillet, Moncton, NB, E1A 3E9, Canada
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitslain 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Joachim Mariën
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitslain 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Magne Neby
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, 2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Osmo Rätti
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, P.O. Box 122, 96101, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Thorbjörn Sievert
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Konnevesi Research Station, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Grant R Singleton
- International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Marine, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Joannes van Cann
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Bram Vanden Broecke
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitslain 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Hannu Ylönen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Konnevesi Research Station, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland.
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Prist PR, Prado A, Tambosi LR, Umetsu F, de Arruda Bueno A, Pardini R, Metzger JP. Moving to healthier landscapes: Forest restoration decreases the abundance of Hantavirus reservoir rodents in tropical forests. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 752:141967. [PMID: 32892056 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCPS) is a disease with high human lethality rates, whose transmission risk is directly related to the abundance of reservoir rodents. In the Brazilian Atlantic forest, the main reservoirs species, Oligoryzomys nigripes and Necromys lasiurus, are thought to increase in abundance with deforestation. Therefore, forest restoration may contribute to decrease HCPS transmission risk, a topic still unexplored, especially in tropical regions. Aiming at filling this research gap, we quantified the potential of forest restoration, as required by the current environmental legislation, to reduce the abundance of Hantavirus reservoir rodents in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Using a dataset on small mammal communities sampled at 104 sites, we modeled how the abundance of these two rodent species change with the percentage of forest cover and forest edge density. From the best model, we extrapolated rodent abundance to the entire Atlantic Forest, considering two scenarios: current and restored forest cover. Comparing the estimated abundance between these two scenarios, we show that forest restoration can reduce the abundance of O. nigripes up to 89.29% in 43.43% of Atlantic forest territory. For N. lasiurus, abundance decreased up to 46% in 44% of the Atlantic forest. To our knowledge, this is the first study linking forest restoration and zoonotic diseases. Our results indicate that forest restoration would decrease the chance of HCPS transmission in ~45% of the Atlantic forest, making the landscape healthier to ~2,8 million people living within this area. This positive effect of restoration on disease regulation should be considered as an additional argument to encourage and promote forest restoration in tropical areas around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Ribeiro Prist
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Bioscience, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, Travessa 14, 101, São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brazil.
| | - Amanda Prado
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Bioscience, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, Travessa 14, 101, São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Leandro Reverberi Tambosi
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Bioscience, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, Travessa 14, 101, São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brazil; Department of Environmental and Urban Engineering, Federal University of ABC, Avenida dos Estados, 5001, Bairro Santa Terezinha, Santo André, SP 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Fabiana Umetsu
- Farroupilha Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, Rodovia RS-377 s/n, Campus Alegrete, Alegrete, RS 97555-000, Brazil
| | - Adriana de Arruda Bueno
- Management Plan Center, São Paulo State Forest Foundation, Av. Professor Frederico Hermann Júnior, 325 - Alto de Pinheiros, São Paulo, SP 05459-010, Brazil
| | - Renata Pardini
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Bioscience, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, Travessa 14, 101, São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Jean Paul Metzger
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Bioscience, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, Travessa 14, 101, São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brazil
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Kesäniemi J, Lavrinienko A, Tukalenko E, Mappes T, Watts PC, Jurvansuu J. Infection Load and Prevalence of Novel Viruses Identified from the Bank Vole Do Not Associate with Exposure to Environmental Radioactivity. Viruses 2019; 12:E44. [PMID: 31905955 PMCID: PMC7019477 DOI: 10.3390/v12010044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bank voles (Myodes glareolus) are host to many zoonotic viruses. As bank voles inhabiting areas contaminated by radionuclides show signs of immunosuppression, resistance to apoptosis, and elevated DNA repair activity, we predicted an association between virome composition and exposure to radionuclides. To test this hypothesis, we studied the bank vole virome in samples of plasma derived from animals inhabiting areas of Ukraine (contaminated areas surrounding the former nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, and uncontaminated areas close to Kyiv) that differed in level of environmental radiation contamination. We discovered four strains of hepacivirus and four new virus sequences: two adeno-associated viruses, an arterivirus, and a mosavirus. However, viral prevalence and viral load, and the ability to cause a systemic infection, was not dependent on the level of environmental radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenni Kesäniemi
- Finland Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland;
| | - Anton Lavrinienko
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland; (A.L.); (T.M.); (P.C.W.)
| | - Eugene Tukalenko
- National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Science, 02000 Kyiv, Ukraine;
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland; (A.L.); (T.M.); (P.C.W.)
| | - Phillip C. Watts
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland; (A.L.); (T.M.); (P.C.W.)
| | - Jaana Jurvansuu
- Finland Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland;
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10
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Binder F, Drewes S, Imholt C, Saathoff M, Below DA, Bendl E, Conraths FJ, Tenhaken P, Mylius M, Brockmann S, Oehme R, Freise J, Jacob J, Ulrich RG. Heterogeneous Puumala orthohantavirus situation in endemic regions in Germany in summer 2019. Transbound Emerg Dis 2019; 67:502-509. [PMID: 31674714 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) causes most human hantavirus disease cases in Europe. PUUV disease outbreaks are usually synchronized Germany-wide driven by beech mast-induced irruptions of its host (bank vole, Myodes glareolus). Recent data indicate high vole abundance, high PUUV prevalence and high human incidence in summer 2019 for some regions, but elsewhere values were low to moderate. This significant lack of synchrony among regions in Germany is in contrast to previous studies. Health institutions need to be informed about the heterogeneous distribution of human PUUV infection risk to initiate appropriate actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Binder
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Stephan Drewes
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Christian Imholt
- Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Münster, Germany
| | - Marion Saathoff
- Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, Veterinary Task-Force, Department of Pest Control, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Diana Alexandra Below
- Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Münster, Germany
| | - Elias Bendl
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Franz J Conraths
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | | | - Maren Mylius
- The Governmental Institute of Public Health of Lower Saxony, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Rainer Oehme
- State Health Office Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Jona Freise
- Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, Veterinary Task-Force, Department of Pest Control, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Jens Jacob
- Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Münster, Germany
| | - Rainer G Ulrich
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
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Ecke F, Nematollahi Mahani SA, Evander M, Hörnfeldt B, Khalil H. Wildfire-induced short-term changes in a small mammal community increase prevalence of a zoonotic pathogen? Ecol Evol 2019; 9:12459-12470. [PMID: 31788190 PMCID: PMC6875567 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural disturbances like droughts and fires are important determinants of wildlife community structure and are suggested to have important implications for prevalence of wildlife-borne pathogens. After a major wildfire affecting >1,600 ha of boreal forest in Sweden in 2006, we took the rare opportunity to study the short-term response (2007-2010 and 2015) of small mammal community structure, population dynamics, and prevalence of the Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) hosted by bank voles (Myodes glareolus). We performed snap-trapping in permanent trapping plots in clear-cuts (n = 3), unburnt reference forests (n = 7), and the fire area (n = 7) and surveyed vegetation and habitat structure. Small mammal species richness was low in all habitats (at maximum three species per trapping session), and the bank vole was the only small mammal species encountered in the fire area after the first postfire year. In autumns of years of peak rodent densities, the trapping index of bank voles was lowest in the fire area, and in two of three peak-density years, it was highest in clear-cuts. Age structure of bank voles varied among forest types with dominance of overwintered breeders in the fire area in the first postfire spring. PUUV infection probability in bank voles was positively related to vole age. Infection probability was highest in the fire area due to low habitat complexity in burnt forests, which possibly increased encounter rate among bank voles. Our results suggest that forest fires induce cascading effects, including fast recovery/recolonization of fire areas by generalists like bank voles, impoverished species richness of small mammals, and altered prevalence of a rodent-borne zoonotic pathogen. Our pilot study suggests high human infection risk upon encountering a bank vole in the fire area, however, with even higher overall risk in unburnt forests due to their higher vole numbers. OPEN RESEARCH BADGES This article has earned an Open Data Badge for making publicly available the digitally-shareable data necessary to reproduce the reported results. The data is available at https://osf.io/6fsy3/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frauke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | | | - Magnus Evander
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, VirologyUmeå UniversityUmeåSweden
| | - Birger Hörnfeldt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Hussein Khalil
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
- Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
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Khalil H, Ecke F, Evander M, Bucht G, Hörnfeldt B. Population Dynamics of Bank Voles Predicts Human Puumala Hantavirus Risk. ECOHEALTH 2019; 16:545-557. [PMID: 31309365 PMCID: PMC6858908 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-019-01424-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Predicting risk of zoonotic diseases, i.e., diseases shared by humans and animals, is often complicated by the population ecology of wildlife host(s). We here demonstrate how ecological knowledge of a disease system can be used for early prediction of human risk using Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) in bank voles (Myodes glareolus), which causes Nephropathia epidemica (NE) in humans, as a model system. Bank vole populations at northern latitudes exhibit multiannual fluctuations in density and spatial distribution, a phenomenon that has been studied extensively. Nevertheless, existing studies predict NE incidence only a few months before an outbreak. We used a time series on cyclic bank vole population density (1972-2013), their PUUV infection rates (1979-1986; 2003-2013), and NE incidence in Sweden (1990-2013). Depending on the relationship between vole density and infection prevalence (proportion of infected animals), either overall density of bank voles or the density of infected bank voles may be used to predict seasonal NE incidence. The density and spatial distribution of voles at density minima of a population cycle contribute to the early warning of NE risk later at its cyclic peak. When bank voles remain relatively widespread in the landscape during cyclic minima, PUUV can spread from a high baseline during a cycle, culminating in high prevalence in bank voles and potentially high NE risk during peak densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussein Khalil
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Frauke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7050, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Magnus Evander
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Virology, Umeå University, 901 85, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Göran Bucht
- Swedish Defense Research Agency, CBRN Defence and Security, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Birger Hörnfeldt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
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Raharinosy V, Olive MM, Andriamiarimanana FM, Andriamandimby SF, Ravalohery JP, Andriamamonjy S, Filippone C, Rakoto DAD, Telfer S, Heraud JM. Geographical distribution and relative risk of Anjozorobe virus (Thailand orthohantavirus) infection in black rats (Rattus rattus) in Madagascar. Virol J 2018; 15:83. [PMID: 29743115 PMCID: PMC5944027 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-018-0992-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hantavirus infection is a zoonotic disease that is associated with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and cardiopulmonary syndrome in human. Anjozorobe virus, a representative virus of Thailand orthohantavirus (THAIV), was recently discovered from rodents in Anjozorobe-Angavo forest in Madagascar. To assess the circulation of hantavirus at the national level, we carried out a survey of small terrestrial mammals from representative regions of the island and identified environmental factors associated with hantavirus infection. As we were ultimately interested in the potential for human exposure, we focused our research in the peridomestic area. Methods Sampling was achieved in twenty districts of Madagascar, with a rural and urban zone in each district. Animals were trapped from a range of habitats and examined for hantavirus RNA by nested RT-PCR. We also investigated the relationship between hantavirus infection probability in rats and possible risk factors by using Generalized Linear Mixed Models. Results Overall, 1242 specimens from seven species were collected (Rattus rattus, Rattus norvegicus, Mus musculus, Suncus murinus, Setifer setosus, Tenrec ecaudatus, Hemicentetes semispinosus). Overall, 12.4% (111/897) of Rattus rattus and 1.6% (2/125) of Mus musculus were tested positive for THAIV. Rats captured within houses were less likely to be infected than rats captured in other habitats, whilst rats from sites characterized by high precipitation and relatively low seasonality were more likely to be infected than those from other areas. Older animals were more likely to be infected, with infection probability showing a strong increase with weight. Conclusions We report widespread distribution of THAIV in the peridomestic rats of Madagascar, with highest prevalence for those living in humid areas. Although the potential risk of infection to human may also be widespread, our results provide a first indication of specific zone with high transmission. Gathered data will be helpful to implement policies for control and prevention of human risk infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vololoniaina Raharinosy
- Virology Unit, Institute Pasteur de Madagascar, Ambatofotsikely, BP 1274, Antananarivo, Madagascar.,Ecole Doctorale des Sciences de la Vie et de l'Environnement, Equipe Pathogènes et Diversité Moléculaire, Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Marie-Marie Olive
- Virology Unit, Institute Pasteur de Madagascar, Ambatofotsikely, BP 1274, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - Soa Fy Andriamandimby
- Virology Unit, Institute Pasteur de Madagascar, Ambatofotsikely, BP 1274, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Jean-Pierre Ravalohery
- Virology Unit, Institute Pasteur de Madagascar, Ambatofotsikely, BP 1274, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Seta Andriamamonjy
- Virology Unit, Institute Pasteur de Madagascar, Ambatofotsikely, BP 1274, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Claudia Filippone
- Virology Unit, Institute Pasteur de Madagascar, Ambatofotsikely, BP 1274, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Danielle Aurore Doll Rakoto
- Département de Biochimie Fondamentale et Appliquée, Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Sandra Telfer
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Jean-Michel Heraud
- Virology Unit, Institute Pasteur de Madagascar, Ambatofotsikely, BP 1274, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
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Hantaviruses and a neglected environmental determinant. One Health 2018; 5:27-33. [PMID: 29911161 PMCID: PMC6000911 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2017.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2017] [Revised: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Most human pathogenic hantaviruses cause severe hemorrhagic fevers with a high rate of fatalities, such as occurs due to the genotypes causing hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome carried by the New World Sigmodontinae and Neotominae rodents. An increasing number of outbreaks and the possibility of cases spreading over international borders have led to greater interest in these viruses and the environmental determinants that facilitate their transmission. Rodents, shrews, moles and bats act as reservoir hosts of hantaviruses, and within the hantavirus transmission flow, the prevalence and distribution of infection in reservoir hosts is influenced by a range of factors. Climate change and landscape alteration affect hantavirus transmission, but the outcomes can differ among different hantaviruses and for the same virus in differentbiomes. However, it is evident that the underlying mechanisms that mediate hantavirus transmission are largely unknown, so that much work remains to be done regarding the transmission dynamics of hantaviruses. Overall, our review highlights the importance of examining interactions over several trophic levels and the underlying mechanisms (density and trait-mediated indirect effects) linking predation risk and hantavirus transmission, to develop an ecological framework to understand disease in natural, preserved and degraded systems.
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15
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Forbes KM, Sironen T, Plyusnin A. Hantavirus maintenance and transmission in reservoir host populations. Curr Opin Virol 2017; 28:1-6. [PMID: 29024905 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Hantaviruses are primarily hosted by mammalian species of the orders Rodentia, Eulipotyphla and Chiroptera. Spillover to humans is common, and understanding hantavirus maintenance and transmission in reservoir host populations is important for efforts to curtail human disease. Recent field research challenges traditional phases of virus shedding kinetics derived from laboratory rodent infection experiments. Organ infection sites in non-rodent hosts suggest similar transmission routes to rodents, but require direct assessment. Further advances have also been made in understanding virus persistence (and fadeouts) in fluctuating host populations, as well as occupational, recreational and environmental risk factors associated with spillover to humans. However, despite relevance for both intra-species and inter-species transmission, our understanding of the longevity of hantaviruses in natural environments remains limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian M Forbes
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, Helsinki FI-00290, Finland; Centre for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, Millennium Science Complex, State College, PA 16802, United States.
| | - Tarja Sironen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, Helsinki FI-00290, Finland; Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Agnes Sjöbergin katu 2, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
| | - Alexander Plyusnin
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, Helsinki FI-00290, Finland
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16
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Khalil H, Olsson G, Magnusson M, Evander M, Hörnfeldt B, Ecke F. Spatial prediction and validation of zoonotic hazard through micro-habitat properties: where does Puumala hantavirus hole - up? BMC Infect Dis 2017; 17:523. [PMID: 28747170 PMCID: PMC5530527 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-017-2618-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background To predict the risk of infectious diseases originating in wildlife, it is important to identify habitats that allow the co-occurrence of pathogens and their hosts. Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) is a directly-transmitted RNA virus that causes hemorrhagic fever in humans, and is carried and transmitted by the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). In northern Sweden, bank voles undergo 3–4 year population cycles, during which their spatial distribution varies greatly. Methods We used boosted regression trees; a technique inspired by machine learning, on a 10 – year time-series (fall 2003–2013) to develop a spatial predictive model assessing seasonal PUUV hazard using micro-habitat variables in a landscape heavily modified by forestry. We validated the models in an independent study area approx. 200 km away by predicting seasonal presence of infected bank voles in a five-year-period (2007–2010 and 2015). Results The distribution of PUUV-infected voles varied seasonally and inter-annually. In spring, micro-habitat variables related to cover and food availability in forests predicted both bank vole and infected bank vole presence. In fall, the presence of PUUV-infected voles was generally restricted to spruce forests where cover was abundant, despite the broad landscape distribution of bank voles in general. We hypothesize that the discrepancy in distribution between infected and uninfected hosts in fall, was related to higher survival of PUUV and/or PUUV-infected voles in the environment, especially where cover is plentiful. Conclusions Moist and mesic old spruce forests, with abundant cover such as large holes and bilberry shrubs, also providing food, were most likely to harbor infected bank voles. The models developed using long-term and spatially extensive data can be extrapolated to other areas in northern Fennoscandia. To predict the hazard of directly transmitted zoonoses in areas with unknown risk status, models based on micro-habitat variables and developed through machine learning techniques in well-studied systems, could be used. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-017-2618-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussein Khalil
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Gert Olsson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Magnus Magnusson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Magnus Evander
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Virology, Umeå University, 901 85, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Birger Hörnfeldt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Frauke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Gerda Nilssons väg 5, 756 51, Uppsala, Sweden
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17
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Duh D, Hasic S, Buzan E. The impact of illegal waste sites on a transmission of zoonotic viruses. Virol J 2017; 14:134. [PMID: 28728557 PMCID: PMC5520353 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-017-0798-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Illegal waste disposal impacts public health and causes aesthetic and environmental pollution. Waste disposed in places without permitted and controlled facilities can provide a ready source of nutrition and shelter for rodents and thus promote the spread of their ecto- and endoparasites. The presence of two distinct zoonotic viruses, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), was searched at illegal waste sites. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infection with both viruses in rodents and to discuss the virus-rodent relations in such environments. METHODS Rodents sampled between October 2011 and April 2013 at 7 locations in the Istrian peninsula, were identified morphologically and genetically to minimize misidentification. Serological and molecular techniques were used to determine seroprevalence of infection in rodents and to detect viral RNAs. Serological testing was performed by immune fluorescence assay for detection of LCMV and TBEV specific antibodies. Real-time RT PCR was used for the detection of LCMV nucleoprotein gene and TBEV 3' non-coding region. Data were statistically analysed using SPSS statistic v2.0. RESULTS Out of 82 rodent sera tested, the presence of LCMV antibodies was demonstrated in 24.93%. The highest prevalence of LCMV infection was found in commensal Mus musculus (47.37%), followed by 11.53%, 19.04% and 25% prevalence of infection in A. agrarius, A. flavicolis and A. sylvaticus, respectively. The highest prevalence of infection in rodents (53.33%) was found in locations with large waste sites and high anthropogenic influence. LCMV seroprevalence was significantly lower in rodents sampled from natural habitats. Viral nucleic acids were screened in 46 samples but yielded no amplicons of LCMV or TBEV. In addition, TBEV specific antibodies were not detected. CONCLUSIONS Illegal waste sites have considerable impact on the area where they are located. Results have shown that the transmission of human pathogens can be significantly increased by the presence of waste sites. However, the pathogen must be endemic in the environment where the waste site is located. The introduction of a human pathogen as a consequence of the waste site in the area of interest could not be proven.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darja Duh
- Department for Medical Microbiology Maribor, Centre for Medical Microbiology, National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, Prvomajska 1, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Sandra Hasic
- Department of Biodiversity, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
| | - Elena Buzan
- Department of Biodiversity, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
- Institute for Biodiversity Studies, Science and Research Centre, University of Primorska, Garibaldijeva 1, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
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18
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Ecke F, Angeler DG, Magnusson M, Khalil H, Hörnfeldt B. Dampening of population cycles in voles affects small mammal community structure, decreases diversity, and increases prevalence of a zoonotic disease. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:5331-5342. [PMID: 28770071 PMCID: PMC5528244 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term decline and depression of density in cyclic small rodents is a recent widespread phenomenon. These observed changes at the population level might have cascading effects at the ecosystem level. Here, we assessed relationships between changing boreal landscapes and biodiversity changes of small mammal communities. We also inferred potential effects of observed community changes for increased transmission risk of Puumala virus (PUUV) spread, causing the zoonotic disease nephropatica epidemica in humans. Analyses were based on long-term (1971-2013) monitoring data of shrews and voles representing 58 time series in northern Sweden. We calculated richness, diversity, and evenness at alpha, beta, and gamma level, partitioned beta diversity into turnover (species replacement) and nestedness (species addition/removal), used similarity percentages (SIMPER) analysis to assess community structure, and calculated the cumulated number of PUUV-infected bank voles and average PUUV prevalence (percentage of infected bank voles) per vole cycle. Alpha, beta, and gamma richness and diversity of voles, but not shrews, showed long-term trends that varied spatially. The observed patterns were associated with an increase in community contribution of bank vole (Myodes glareolus), a decrease of gray-sided vole (M. rufocanus) and field vole (Microtus agrestis) and a hump-shaped variation in contribution of common shrew (Sorex araneus). Long-term biodiversity changes were largely related to changes in forest landscape structure. Number of PUUV-infected bank voles in spring was negatively related to beta and gamma diversity, and positively related to turnover of shrews (replaced by voles) and to community contribution of bank voles. The latter was also positively related to average PUUV prevalence in spring. We showed that long-term changes in the boreal landscape contributed to explain the decrease in biodiversity and the change in structure of small mammal communities. In addition, our results suggest decrease in small mammal diversity to have knock-on effects on dynamics of infectious diseases among small mammals with potential implications for disease transmission to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frauke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - David G. Angeler
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and AssessmentSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
| | - Magnus Magnusson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Hussein Khalil
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Birger Hörnfeldt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
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19
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Khalil H, Ecke F, Evander M, Magnusson M, Hörnfeldt B. Declining ecosystem health and the dilution effect. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31314. [PMID: 27499001 PMCID: PMC4976314 DOI: 10.1038/srep31314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The “dilution effect” implies that where species vary in susceptibility to infection by a pathogen, higher diversity often leads to lower infection prevalence in hosts. For directly transmitted pathogens, non-host species may “dilute” infection directly (1) and indirectly (2). Competitors and predators may (1) alter host behavior to reduce pathogen transmission or (2) reduce host density. In a well-studied system, we tested the dilution of the zoonotic Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) in bank voles (Myodes glareolus) by two competitors and a predator. Our study was based on long-term PUUV infection data (2003–2013) in northern Sweden. The field vole (Microtus agrestis) and the common shrew (Sorex araneus) are bank vole competitors and Tengmalm’s owl (Aegolius funereus) is a main predator of bank voles. Infection probability in bank voles decreased when common shrew density increased, suggesting that common shrews reduced PUUV transmission. Field voles suppressed bank vole density in meadows and clear-cuts and indirectly diluted PUUV infection. Further, Tengmalm’s owl decline in 1980–2013 may have contributed to higher PUUV infection rates in bank voles in 2003–2013 compared to 1979–1986. Our study provides further evidence for dilution effect and suggests that owls may have an important role in reducing disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussein Khalil
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Frauke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Gerda Nilssons väg 5, SE-756 51 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Magnus Evander
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Virology, Umeå University, SE-901 85 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Magnus Magnusson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Birger Hörnfeldt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogmarksgränd, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
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Schlinkert H, Ludwig M, Batáry P, Holzschuh A, Kovács-Hostyánszki A, Tscharntke T, Fischer C. Forest specialist and generalist small mammals in forest edges and hedges. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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21
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Blasdell K, Morand S, Henttonen H, Tran A, Buchy P. Hantavirus seropositivity in rodents in relation to habitat heterogeneity in human-shaped landscapes of Southeast Asia. Spat Spatiotemporal Epidemiol 2016; 17:27-35. [PMID: 27246270 DOI: 10.1016/j.sste.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
To establish how the conversion of natural habitats for agricultural purposes may impact the distribution of hantaviruses in Southeast Asia, we tested how habitat structure affects hantavirus infection prevalence of common murine rodents that inhabit human-dominated landscapes in this region. For this, we used geo-referenced data of rodents analysed for hantavirus infection and land cover maps produced for the seven study sites in Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR where they were collected. Rodents were tested by serological methods that detect several hantaviruses, including pathogenic ones. Rodents with a seropositive status were more likely to be found near to agriculture on steep land, and also in environments with a high proportion of agriculture on steep land. These results suggest that in Southeast Asia, hantaviruses, which are often associated with generalist rodent species with a preference for agricultural land, may benefit from land conversion to agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Blasdell
- Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, Virology Unit, 5 Monivong blvd, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; CSIRO Livestock Industries Biosecurity Flagship, Australian Animal Health Laboratory, 5 Portarlington Road, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Serge Morand
- CNRS-CIRAD AGIRs, Centre d'Infectiologie Christophe Mérieux du Laos, Vientiane, Lao Democratic People's Republic; Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchavithi Rd, Ratchathevi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
| | | | - Annelise Tran
- CIRAD, UMR TETIS, F-34093 Montpellier, France; CIRAD, UR AGIRs, Montpellier, France
| | - Philippe Buchy
- Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, Virology Unit, 5 Monivong blvd, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Gateway West, 150 Beach Road, Singapore 189720, Singapore
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22
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Monchatre-Leroy E, Crespin L, Boué F, Marianneau P, Calavas D, Hénaux V. Spatial and Temporal Epidemiology of Nephropathia Epidemica Incidence and Hantavirus Seroprevalence in Rodent Hosts: Identification of the Main Environmental Factors in Europe. Transbound Emerg Dis 2016; 64:1210-1228. [PMID: 26996739 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In Europe, the increasing number of nephropathia epidemica (NE) infections in humans, caused by Puumala virus carried by bank voles (Myodes glareolus), has triggered studies of environmental factors driving these infections. NE infections have been shown to occur in specific geographical areas characterized by environmental factors that influence the distribution and dynamics of host populations and virus persistence in the soil. Here, we review the influence of environmental conditions (including climate factors, food availability and habitat conditions) with respect to incidence in humans and seroprevalence in rodents, considering both direct and indirect transmission pathways. For each type of environmental factor, results and discrepancies between studies are presented and examined in the light of biological hypotheses. Overall, food availability and temperature appear to be the main drivers of host seroprevalence and NE incidence, but data quality and statistical approaches varied greatly among studies. We highlight the issues that now need to be addressed and suggest improvements for study design in regard to the current knowledge on hantavirus epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - L Crespin
- INRA, UR346 d'Epidémiologie Animale, F63122 Saint Genès Champanelle, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.,Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Villeurbanne, France
| | - F Boué
- Laboratoire de la rage et de la faune sauvage, ANSES, Nancy, France
| | - P Marianneau
- Unité de virologie, Laboratoire de Lyon, ANSES, Lyon, France
| | - D Calavas
- Unité d'épidémiologie, Laboratoire de Lyon, ANSES, Lyon, France
| | - V Hénaux
- Unité d'épidémiologie, Laboratoire de Lyon, ANSES, Lyon, France
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23
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Voutilainen L, Kallio ER, Niemimaa J, Vapalahti O, Henttonen H. Temporal dynamics of Puumala hantavirus infection in cyclic populations of bank voles. Sci Rep 2016; 6:21323. [PMID: 26887639 PMCID: PMC4758042 DOI: 10.1038/srep21323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the dynamics of zoonotic pathogens in their reservoir host populations is a prerequisite for predicting and preventing human disease epidemics. The human infection risk of Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) is highest in northern Europe, where populations of the rodent host (bank vole, Myodes glareolus) undergo cyclic fluctuations. We conducted a 7-year capture-mark-recapture study to monitor seasonal and multiannual patterns of the PUUV infection rate in bank vole populations exhibiting a 3-year density cycle. Infected bank voles were most abundant in mid-winter months during years of increasing or peak host density. Prevalence of PUUV infection in bank voles exhibited a regular, seasonal pattern reflecting the annual population turnover and accumulation of infections within each year cohort. In autumn, the PUUV transmission rate tracked increasing host abundance, suggesting a density-dependent transmission. However, prevalence of PUUV infection was similar during the increase and peak years of the density cycle despite a twofold difference in host density. This may result from the high proportion of individuals carrying maternal antibodies constraining transmission during the cycle peak years. Our exceptionally intensive and long-term dataset provides a solid basis on which to develop models to predict the dynamic public health threat posed by PUUV in northern Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liina Voutilainen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Vantaa, Finland.,University of Helsinki, Department of Virology, Finland
| | - Eva R Kallio
- University of Jyvaskyla, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Finland
| | | | - Olli Vapalahti
- University of Helsinki, Department of Virology, Finland.,Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Virology, Finland
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24
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Khalil H, Ecke F, Evander M, Hörnfeldt B. Selective predation on hantavirus-infected voles by owls and confounding effects from landscape properties. Oecologia 2016; 181:597-606. [PMID: 26873607 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3580-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that predators may protect human health through reducing disease-host densities or selectively preying on infected individuals from the population. However, this has not been tested empirically. We hypothesized that Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus) selectively preys on hantavirus-infected individuals of its staple prey, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). Bank voles are hosts of Puumala hantavirus, which causes a form of hemorrhagic fever in humans. Selective predation by owls on infected voles may reduce human disease risk. We compared the prevalence of anti-Puumala hantavirus antibodies (seroprevalence), in bank voles cached by owls in nest boxes to seroprevalence in voles trapped in closed-canopy forest around each nest box. We found no general difference in seroprevalence. Forest landscape structure could partly account for the observed patterns in seroprevalence. Only in more connected forest patches was seroprevalence in bank voles cached in nest boxes higher than seroprevalence in trapped voles. This effect disappeared with increasing forest patch isolation, as seroprevalence in trapped voles increased with forest patch isolation, but did not in cached voles. Our results suggest a complex relationship between zoonotic disease prevalence in hosts, their predators, and landscape structure. Some mechanisms that may have caused the seroprevalence patterns in our results include higher bank vole density in isolated forest patches. This study offers future research potential to shed further light on the contribution of predators and landscape properties to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussein Khalil
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Skogsmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Frauke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Skogsmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Magnus Evander
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Virology, Umeå University, 901 85, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Birger Hörnfeldt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Skogsmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
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25
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Khalil H, Hörnfeldt B, Evander M, Magnusson M, Olsson G, Ecke F. Dynamics and drivers of hantavirus prevalence in rodent populations. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2015; 14:537-51. [PMID: 25072983 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2013.1562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Human encroachment on wildlife habitats has contributed to the emergence of several zoonoses. Pathogenic hantaviruses are hosted by rodents and cause severe diseases in the Americas and Eurasia. We reviewed several factors that potentially drive prevalence (the proportion of infected rodents) in host populations. These include demography, behavior, host density, small mammal diversity, predation, and habitat and landscape characteristics. This review is the first to include a quantitative summary of the literature investigating hantavirus prevalence in rodents. Demographic structure and density were investigated the most and predation the least. Reported effects of demographic structure and small mammal diversity were consistent, whereby reproductive males were most likely to be infected and prevalence decreased with small mammal diversity. The influences of habitat and landscape properties are often complex and indirect. The relationship between density and prevalence merits more investigation. Most hantavirus hosts are habitat generalists and their control is challenging. Incorporating all potential factors and their interactions is essential to understanding and controlling infection in host populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussein Khalil
- 1 Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , Umeå, Sweden
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26
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Magnusson M, Ecke F, Khalil H, Olsson G, Evander M, Niklasson B, Hörnfeldt B. Spatial and temporal variation of hantavirus bank vole infection in managed forest landscapes. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es15-00039.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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27
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Sane J, Reimerink J, Harms M, Bakker J, Mughini-Gras L, Schimmer B, van Pelt W. Human hantavirus infections in the Netherlands. Emerg Infect Dis 2015; 20:2107-10. [PMID: 25417752 PMCID: PMC4257821 DOI: 10.3201/eid2012.131886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the recent epidemiology and estimated seroprevalence of human hantavirus infections in the Netherlands. Sixty-two cases were reported during December 2008-December 2013. The estimated seroprevalence in the screened municipalities in 2006-2007 was 1.7% (95% CI 1.3%-2.3%). Findings suggest that hantavirus infections are underdiagnosed in the Netherlands.
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28
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Dearing MD, Clay C, Lehmer E, Dizney L. The roles of community diversity and contact rates on pathogen prevalence. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyu025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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29
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Ling J, Vaheri A, Hepojoki S, Levanov L, Jääskeläinen A, Henttonen H, Vapalahti O, Sironen T, Hepojoki J. Serological survey of Seewis virus antibodies in patients suspected for hantavirus infection in Finland; a cross-reaction between Puumala virus antiserum with Seewis virus N protein? J Gen Virol 2015; 96:1664-75. [PMID: 25787939 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.000127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Puumala virus (PUUV, carried by Myodes glareolus) co-circulates with Seewis virus (SWSV, carried by Sorex araneus) in Finland. While PUUV causes 1000-3000 nephropathia epidemica (NE) cases annually, the pathogenicity of SWSV to man is unknown. To study the prevalence of SWSV antibodies in hantavirus fever-like patients' sera, we used recombinant SWSV nucleocapsid (N) protein as the antigen in ELISA, immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and immunoblotting. While characterizing the recombinant SWSV N protein, we observed that a polyclonal rabbit antiserum against PUUV N protein cross-reacted with SWSV N protein and vice versa. We initially screened 486 (450 PUUV-seronegative and 36 PUUV-seropositive) samples sent to Helsinki University Hospital Laboratory for PUUV serodiagnosis during 2002 and 2007 in an SWSV N protein IgG ELISA. In total, 4.2 % (19/450) of the PUUV-seronegative samples were reactive in the SWSV N protein IgG ELISA and none of the tested samples [43 PUUV-seronegative (weakly reactive in the SWSV IgG ELISA) and 15 random] were reactive in the SWSV N protein IgM ELISA. None of the IgG reactions could be confirmed by IFA or immunoblotting. Furthermore, among the 36 PUUV-seropositive samples three were reactive in SWSV N protein IgG and ten in SWSV N protein IgM ELISA. One PUUV-seropositive sample reacted with SWSV N protein in IFA and four in immunoblotting. Finally, we applied competitive ELISA to confirm that the observed reactivity was due to cross-reactivity rather than a true SWSV response. In conclusion, no evidence of SWSV infection was found among the 486 samples studied; however, we did demonstrate that PUUV antiserum cross-reacted with shrew-borne hantavirus N protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Ling
- 1Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Antti Vaheri
- 1Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland 2Department of Virology and Immunology, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital
| | - Satu Hepojoki
- 1Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lev Levanov
- 1Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anne Jääskeläinen
- 1Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland 2Department of Virology and Immunology, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital
| | | | - Olli Vapalahti
- 1Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland 2Department of Virology and Immunology, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital 4Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tarja Sironen
- 1Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jussi Hepojoki
- 1Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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30
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Rubio AV, Ávila-Flores R, Suzán G. Responses of small mammals to habitat fragmentation: epidemiological considerations for rodent-borne hantaviruses in the Americas. ECOHEALTH 2014; 11:526-533. [PMID: 24845575 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-014-0944-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2014] [Revised: 04/05/2014] [Accepted: 04/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Rodent-borne hantaviruses are a group of zoonotic agents that cause hemorrhagic fever in humans. The transmission of hantaviruses among rodent hosts may be higher with the increase of reservoir host abundance in a given area (density-dependent transmission) and with the decrease of small mammal diversity (dilution effect phenomenon). These population and community parameters may be modified by habitat fragmentation; however, studies that focus on fragmentation and its effect on hantavirus infection risk are scarce. To further understanding of this issue, we assessed some population and community responses of rodents that may increase the risk for hantavirus transmission among wildlife hosts in the Americas. We conducted a meta-analysis of published studies to assess the responses of small mammals to fragmentation of native habitats, relative to patch size. Our analyses included five countries and 14 case studies for abundance of reservoir hosts (8 species) and 15 case studies for species richness. We found that a reduction of patch area due to habitat fragmentation is associated with increased reservoir host abundances and decreased small mammal richness, which is mainly due to the loss of non-host small mammals. According to these results, habitat fragmentation in the Americas should be considered as an epidemiological risk factor for hantavirus transmission to humans. These findings are important to assess potential risk of infection when fragmentation of native habitats occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- André V Rubio
- Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 04510, Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico,
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31
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Khalil H, Olsson G, Ecke F, Evander M, Hjertqvist M, Magnusson M, Löfvenius MO, Hörnfeldt B. The importance of bank vole density and rainy winters in predicting nephropathia epidemica incidence in Northern Sweden. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111663. [PMID: 25391132 PMCID: PMC4229113 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic hantaviruses (family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus) are rodent-borne viruses causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Eurasia. In Europe, there are more than 10,000 yearly cases of nephropathia epidemica (NE), a mild form of HFRS caused by Puumala virus (PUUV). The common and widely distributed bank vole (Myodes glareolus) is the host of PUUV. In this study, we aim to explain and predict NE incidence in boreal Sweden using bank vole densities. We tested whether the number of rainy days in winter contributed to variation in NE incidence. We forecast NE incidence in July 2013–June 2014 using projected autumn vole density, and then considering two climatic scenarios: 1) rain-free winter and 2) winter with many rainy days. Autumn vole density was a strong explanatory variable of NE incidence in boreal Sweden in 1990–2012 (R2 = 79%, p<0.001). Adding the number of rainy winter days improved the model (R2 = 84%, p<0.05). We report for the first time that risk of NE is higher in winters with many rainy days. Rain on snow and ground icing may block vole access to subnivean space. Seeking refuge from adverse conditions and shelter from predators, voles may infest buildings, increasing infection risk. In a rainy winter scenario, we predicted 812 NE cases in boreal Sweden, triple the number of cases predicted in a rain-free winter in 2013/2014. Our model enables identification of high risk years when preparedness in the public health sector is crucial, as a rainy winter would accentuate risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussein Khalil
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Gert Olsson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Frauke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Magnus Evander
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Division of Virology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Magnus Magnusson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Birger Hörnfeldt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
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32
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Guivier E, Galan M, Henttonen H, Cosson JF, Charbonnel N. Landscape features and helminth co-infection shape bank vole immunoheterogeneity, with consequences for Puumala virus epidemiology. Heredity (Edinb) 2013; 112:274-81. [PMID: 24149655 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2013.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2013] [Revised: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity in environmental conditions helps to maintain genetic and phenotypic diversity in ecosystems. As such, it may explain why the capacity of animals to mount immune responses is highly variable. The quality of habitat patches, in terms of resources, parasitism, predation and habitat fragmentation may, for example, trigger trade-offs ultimately affecting the investment of individuals in various immunological pathways. We described spatial immunoheterogeneity in bank vole populations with respect to landscape features and co-infection. We focused on the consequences of this heterogeneity for the risk of Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) infection. We assessed the expression of the Tnf-α and Mx2 genes and demonstrated a negative correlation between PUUV load and the expression of these immune genes in bank voles. Habitat heterogeneity was partly associated with differences in the expression of these genes. Levels of Mx2 were lower in large forests than in fragmented forests, possibly due to differences in parasite communities. We previously highlighted the positive association between infection with Heligmosomum mixtum and infection with PUUV. We found that Tnf-α was more strongly expressed in voles infected with PUUV than in uninfected voles or in voles co-infected with the nematode H. mixtum and PUUV. H. mixtum may limit the capacity of the vole to develop proinflammatory responses. This effect may increase the risk of PUUV infection and replication in host cells. Overall, our results suggest that close interactions between landscape features, co-infection and immune gene expression may shape PUUV epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Guivier
- INRA, UMR CBGP (INRA/IRD/Cirad/Montpellier SupAgro), Campus international de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez cedex, France
| | - M Galan
- INRA, UMR CBGP (INRA/IRD/Cirad/Montpellier SupAgro), Campus international de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez cedex, France
| | - H Henttonen
- Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa, Finland
| | - J-F Cosson
- INRA, UMR CBGP (INRA/IRD/Cirad/Montpellier SupAgro), Campus international de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez cedex, France
| | - N Charbonnel
- INRA, UMR CBGP (INRA/IRD/Cirad/Montpellier SupAgro), Campus international de Baillarguet, Montferrier-sur-Lez cedex, France
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33
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Reusken C, Heyman P. Factors driving hantavirus emergence in Europe. Curr Opin Virol 2013; 3:92-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2013.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2012] [Revised: 01/03/2013] [Accepted: 01/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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