title: Bank voles show high seropositivity rates in a natural TBEV focus in Hungary.
abstract: Rodents captured in a known tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) focus were serologically surveyed for 4 years, with 28 visits. The collected sera were analysed by virus neutralization test. Bank vole (Myodes glareolus) had a significantly higher incidence rate of antibodies to TBEV (20.5%) than Apodemus flavicollis (3.7%) and Apodemus agrarius (4.6%). In all species, rates were higher in adults (6.8%) than in juveniles (1.7%). A higher incidence rate was observed in female A. flavicollis individuals (6.7%) than in males (1.5%). Smaller bank vole population coincided with lower (1.2-4.8%) seropositivity in all small rodents, while more abundant bank vole population meant higher (17.9%) total seropositivity. The TBEV focus originally had only Apodemus mice, bank voles appeared later, reached 20.5% positivity and raised the positivity in small rodents from 4% to 10.2% in 3 years. The results highlight the role of M. glareolus and of adult rodents in maintaining the TBEV in nature.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Vector and Public Health Pest Control, National Center for Epidemiology , Budapest.
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zöldi
authors.forename: Tibor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Papp
authors.forename: Jenő
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reiczigel
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Egyed
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D051189:Murinae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: Tick-borne encephalitis virus; bank vole; natural focus; serology