Abstract
BackgroundIn Europe, bank voles (Myodes glareolus) are widely distributed and can transmit Puumala virus (PUUV) to humans, which causes a mild to moderate form of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, called nephropathia epidemica. Uncovering the link between host and virus dynamics can help to prevent human PUUV infections in the future. Bank voles were live trapped three times a year in 2010–2013 in three woodland plots in each of four regions in Germany. Bank vole population density was estimated and blood samples collected to detect PUUV specific antibodies.ResultsWe demonstrated that fluctuation of PUUV seroprevalence is dependent not only on multi-annual but also on seasonal dynamics of rodent host abundance. Moreover, PUUV infection might affect host fitness, because seropositive individuals survived better from spring to summer than uninfected bank voles. Individual space use was independent of PUUV infections.ConclusionsOur study provides robust estimations of relevant patterns and processes of the dynamics of PUUV and its rodent host in Central Europe, which are highly important for the future development of predictive models for human hantavirus infection risk.
Highlights
In Europe, bank voles (Myodes glareolus) are widely distributed and can transmit Puumala virus (PUUV) to humans, which causes a mild to moderate form of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, called nephropathia epidemica
We present the results of a temporally and spatially replicated live trapping study of bank vole populations that link the presence of PUUV specific antibodies in bank voles to their population dynamics, space use and survival
Rodent trapping Rodent monitoring was conducted in spring, summer, and autumn of 2010–2013 in four study areas in Germany; West (North Rhine-Westphalia, Billerbeck, 51°59.63′N, 7°18.99′E), South (Baden-Wuerttemberg, Weissach, 48°49.88′N, 8°57.71′E), North (MecklenburgWestern Pomerania, Jeeser, 54°9.75′N, 13°15.55′E), and East (Thuringia, Gotha, 50°57.38′N, 10°39.13′E)
Summary
In Europe, bank voles (Myodes glareolus) are widely distributed and can transmit Puumala virus (PUUV) to humans, which causes a mild to moderate form of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, called nephropathia epidemica. Hantaviruses are known to occur in two rodent families (Cricetidae and Muridae), in two families of insectivores (Soricidae and Talpidae) and in three families of bats (Rhinolophidae, Nycteridae and Vespertilionidae) [2, 3]. Only some rodentborne hantaviruses cause significant disease in humans. Hantavirus disease, namely haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), occurs in Eurasia and has been known since the 1930s [8]. PUUV-caused disease in humans is termed nephropatica epidemica (NE), which is a mild to moderate form of HFRS.
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