Serological Prevalence Against Japanese Encephalitis Virus-Serocomplex Flaviviruses in Commensal and Field Rodents in South China.
Japanese encephalitis caused by Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is an endemic zoonotic disease of high public health importance in the Asian Pacific region. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of JEV infection in commensal and field rodents in South China.



RNA copies of JEV were detected in brain samples of rodents using real-time RT-PCR. Detection of serum against JEV-reactive antibodies was performed using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and microneutralization test.



In total, 198 rodents were collected from Guangzhou City and Xiamen City between November 2013 and May 2014. JEV RNA was not detected in 188 brain samples. Forty-four in 96 serum samples (45.8%) were positive for JEV-reactive IgG antibodies. The prevalence of neutralizing antibodies to against JEV-reactive in these serum samples was 61.5% (24/39), with titers ranging from 1:10 to 1:56.



Rodents are not known to play a role in transmission of JEV in Asia, nor is there an evidence to support a role for rodents in transmission of other related flaviviruses in China. However, in the current study, we detected evidence of JEV-reactive antibodies in large numbers of Rattus norvegicus and Rattus losea Swinhoe. Further studies of rodents as potential hosts of JEV or other related flaviviruses are warranted.
1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University , Guangzhou, China .
Shao-Wei
SW
Chen
1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University , Guangzhou, China .
Li-Na
LN
Jiang
1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University , Guangzhou, China .
Xue-Shan
XS
Zhong
1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University , Guangzhou, China .
Xue-Yan
XY
Zheng
1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University , Guangzhou, China .
Shu-Juan
SJ
Ma
1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University , Guangzhou, China .
Yi-Quan
YQ
Xiong
1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University , Guangzhou, China .
Jun-Hua
JH
Zhou
1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University , Guangzhou, China .
Xing
X
Li
2 Xiamen Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Xiamen, China .
Xue-Mei
XM
Ke
3 Guangzhou Yuexiu Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Guangzhou, China .
Wen
W
Zhou
1 Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University , Guangzhou, China .
Qing
Q
Chen
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004664:Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004672:Encephalitis, Japanese / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051381:Rats; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D012377:Rodentia; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral
Japanese encephalitis virus; flavivirus; rodent; serum antibodies