[Study on the association between hantavirus infection and Rattus norvegicus].
OBJECTIVE
To further understand the association of hantavirus (HV) harbored and transmitted in wild brown rats.


METHODS
Rattus norvegicus (n = 570) were trapped in 10 sites in Beijing. RT-PCR was used to test rodent lung samples for hantavirus infection. Unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed, with PCR positive as the dependent variable and the characteristics of Rattus norvegicus population as independent variables.


RESULTS
The overall HV prevalence in Rattus norvegicus was 9.1% (52/570). Significant association between HV infection in Rattus norvegicus and some biological characteristics of host population was observed. Adult Rattus norvegicus had a higher HV prevalence than juveniles. Males in the reproduction periods and rats with wounds were more likely to be infected with HV than others.


CONCLUSIONS
It was further confirmed that there existed parallel transmission of HV in Rattus norvegicus hosts. Aggression might be the primary mode of HV transmission among male Rattus norvegicus.
Jiang
Jia-fu
JF
State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China.
Wu
Xiao-ming
XM
Zuo
Shu-qing
SQ
Wang
Ri-ming
RM
Chen
Li-quan
LQ
Wang
Bing-cai
BC
Dun
Zhe
Z
Zhang
Pan-he
PH
Guo
Tian-yu
TY
Cao
Wu-chun
WC
D000374:Aggression; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000293:injuries / Q000821:virology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008168:Lung / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D051381:Rats / Q000293:injuries / Q000821:virology*; D012098:Reproduction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission