Molecular epidemiological study on the host and role of the Hantavirus and Orientia tsutsugamushi in the same epidemic area

Abstract

To investigate whether Hantavirus (HV) and Orientia tsutsugamushi ( OT) can naturally infect and coexist in their host and role. By field epidemiological study, Leptotrombidium scutellare (3829) was collected and separated from mice(166) in epidemic areas. The cells of mites separated from their host and role were cultured. PCR was used to detect HV-RNA and OT-DNA in the cell culture. In 105 Apodemus agrarius, 3 HV-RNA positive, 2 OT-DNA positive and 2 coinfection with HV and OT were detected;in 41 Brown rattus, 2 HV-RNA positive, 1 OT-DNA positive and 1 co-infection with HV and OT were detected. From 15 mites co-infected with HV and OT, 2 strains of HV pathogen, 2 strains of OT pathogen were separated and 1 HV and OT pathogen in the same mite were separate. The study demonstrates that co-infection of HV and OT did simultaneously exist in wild Leptotrombidium scutellare. This theory has some significance to the epidemic and precaution of HV and OT.