Long-term studies of hantavirus reservoir populations in the southwestern United States: a synthesis.

James N Mills,C.J Peters,Thomas G Ksiazek,James E Childs

doi:10.3201/eid0501.990116

Abstract

A series of intensive, longitudinal, mark-recapture studies of hantavirus infection dynamics in reservoir populations in the southwestern United States indicates consistent patterns as well as important differences among sites and host-virus associations. All studies found a higher prevalence of infection in older (particularly male) mice; one study associated wounds with seropositivity. These findings are consistent with horizontal transmission and transmission through fighting between adult male rodents. Despite very low rodent densities at some sites, low-level hantavirus infection continued, perhaps because of persistent infection in a few long-lived rodents or periodic reintroduction of virus from neighboring populations. Prevalence of hantavirus antibody showed seasonal and multiyear patterns that suggested a delayed density-dependent relationship between prevalence and population density. Clear differences in population dynamics and patterns of infection among sites, sampling periods, and host species underscore the importance of replication and continuity of long-term reservoir studies. Nevertheless, the measurable associations between environmental variables, reservoir population density, rates of virus transmission, and prevalence of infection in host populations may improve our capacity to model processes influencing infection and predict increased risk for hantavirus transmission to humans.

Highlights

Other Publications in Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease. 63. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/zoonoticspub/63. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Wildlife Disease and Zoonotics at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Other Publications in Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln
A series of ongoing studies of the natural history of hantavirus-host associations in the southwestern United States was conducted by four independent investigative teams in a variety of ecosystems
Before these studies were undertaken, it was not known whether antibody in brush mice represented spillover of Sin Nombre virus (SNV) from the deer mouse reservoir, unusual maintenance of the same hantavirus by two species of rodents, or another example of cospeciation leading to a unique hantavirus maintained in a single rodent species

Summary

Wildlife Disease and Zoonotics

Long-Term Studies of Hantavirus Reservoir Populations in the Southwestern United States: A Synthesis Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/zoonoticspub Part of the Veterinary Infectious Diseases Commons. James N.; Ksiazek, Thomas G.; Peters, C.J.; and Childs, James E., "Long-Term Studies of Hantavirus Reservoir Populations in the Southwestern United States: A Synthesis" (1999). A series of intensive, longitudinal, mark-recapture studies of hantavirus infection dynamics in reservoir populations in the southwestern United States indicates consistent patterns as well as important differences among sites and host-virus associations. Clear differences in population dynamics and patterns of infection among sites, sampling periods, and host species underscore the importance of replication and continuity of long-term reservoir studies. We summarize major conclusions from the first 3 years of hantavirus reservoir studies in the southwestern United States, examine consistent patterns and salient differences, and discuss the implications of the studies for understanding reservoir host ecology

In Host Populations

Findings

In Prevalence of Infection