title: Serologic survey of orthopoxvirus infection among rodents in hungary.
abstract: As a result of discontinuing vaccination against smallpox after the late 1970s, different orthopoxviruses (OPVs), such as cowpox virus (CPXV), have become a re-emerging healthcare threat among zoonotic pathogens. In Hungary, data on OPV prevalence among its rodent host species have been absent. Here, rodents belonging to four species, i.e., striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), yellow-necked mouse (A. flavicollis), wood mouse (A. sylvaticus) and bank vole (Myodes glareolus), were live trapped at 13 sampling plots on a 149-ha area in the Mecsek Mountains, Hungary, from March to September in 2011 and 2012. Rodent sera were collected and screened for OPV-reactive antibodies with an immunfluorescence assay (IFA). Among the 1587 tested rodents, 286 (18.0%) harbored OPV-specific antibodies. Seroprevalence was the highest for the bank vole (71.4%) and the striped field mouse (66.7%). Due to a masting event in the autumn of 2011 across Central Europe, the abundance of bank voles increased drastically in the 2012 season, raising the overall OPV seroprevalence. We provide the first data on OPV occurrence and seroprevalence in rodents in Hungary. The circulation of OPV in rodents in densely populated areas warrants further studies to elucidate the zoonotic potential of OPV in humans.
authors.affiliation: 1Virological Research Group, Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.|2Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Miklós
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oldal
authors.affiliation: 3Haartman institute and Dept of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sironen
authors.affiliation: 4Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa, Finland.
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Henttonen
authors.affiliation: 3Haartman institute and Dept of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|5Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Finland.|6HUSLAB, HUS, Finland.
authors.forename: Olli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vapalahti
authors.affiliation: 1Virological Research Group, Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.|2Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Mónika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Madai
authors.affiliation: 2Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Győző
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Horváth
authors.affiliation: 1Virological Research Group, Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.|2Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Bianka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dallos
authors.affiliation: 1Virological Research Group, Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.|2Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kutas
authors.affiliation: 1Virological Research Group, Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.|2Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Fanni
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Földes
authors.affiliation: 1Virological Research Group, Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.|2Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kemenesi
authors.affiliation: 1Virological Research Group, Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.|2Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Viktória
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Németh
authors.affiliation: 7Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Krisztián
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bányai
authors.affiliation: 1Virological Research Group, Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.|2Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Ferenc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jakab
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D003411:Arvicolinae; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051189:Murinae; D018155:Orthopoxvirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011213:Poxviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D012377:Rodentia; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: Cowpox virus; Serology; Zoonosis