Hantavirus and arenavirus antibody prevalence in rodents and humans in Trentino, Northern Italy

Epidemiol Infect. 2006 Aug;134(4):830-6. doi: 10.1017/S0950268805005431. Epub 2005 Dec 22.

Abstract

The spatial and temporal distribution of hantavirus and arenavirus antibody-positive wild rodents in Trentino, Italy, was studied using immunofluorescence assays (IFA) in two long-term sites trapped in 2000-2003, and six other sites trapped in 2002. The overall hantavirus seroprevalence in the bank voles, Clethrionomys glareolus (n=229) screened for Puumala virus (PUUV) antibodies was 0.4%, and that for Apodemus flavicollis mice (n=1416) screened for Dobrava virus (DOBV) antibodies was 0.2%. Antibodies against lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) were found in 82 (5.6%) of the 1472 tested rodents; the seroprevalence being 6.1% in A. flavicollis (n=1181), 3.3% in C. glareolus (n=276), and 14.3% in Microtus arvalis (n=7). Of the serum samples of 488 forestry workers studied by IFA, 12 were LCMV-IgG positive (2.5%) and one DOBV-IgG positive (0.2%), however, the latter could not be confirmed DOBV-specific with a neutralization assay. Our results show a widespread distribution but low prevalence of DOBV in Trentino, and demonstrate that the arenavirus antibodies are a common finding in several other rodent species besides the house mouse.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Arenavirus / isolation & purification*
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Disease Reservoirs
  • Disease Vectors
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Italy
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Orthohantavirus / isolation & purification*
  • Prevalence
  • Rodentia / virology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral