Dynamics of Puumala virus infection in bank voles in Ardennes department (France).
The hantaviruses (genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae) include human pathogens and occur worldwide. In Western and Central Europe, the predominant serotype is Puumala (PUU) virus, which causes epidemic nephropathy. Voles are considered to be the main reservoir and the vector of PUU virus. A total of 719 rodents (mainly Clethrionomys glareolus, Apodemus sp.) trapped by capture-mark-recapture (CMR) in four sites in Ardennes department (France) between April 2004 and October 2005 were tested for the presence of PUU virus antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The predominant species, C. glareolus (86.5% [622 of 719]), also had the highest antibody prevalence (37.6% [291 of 773]). In C. glareolus, the antibody prevalence rate increased with age (weight) in site A, B and D, reaching more than 50% in the heaviest weight, and suggesting that horizontal infection may be important.
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AFSSA Nancy, laboratoire d'études et de recherches sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages, WHO/OIE Collaborating centre for research and management in zoonoses control, 54220 Malzéville cedex, France. d.augot@afssa.fr
Muller
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Demerson
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Boué
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Caillot
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Cliquet
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D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000821:virology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005602:France; D005843:Geography; D011157:Population Dynamics; D029262:Puumala virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D014197:Trees