title: Puumala hantavirus infections in bank vole populations: host and virus dynamics in Central Europe.
abstract: In Europe, bank voles (Myodes glareolus) are widely distributed and can transmit Puumala virus (PUUV) to humans, which causes a mild to moderate form of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, called nephropathia epidemica. Uncovering the link between host and virus dynamics can help to prevent human PUUV infections in the future. Bank voles were live trapped three times a year in 2010-2013 in three woodland plots in each of four regions in Germany. Bank vole population density was estimated and blood samples collected to detect PUUV specific antibodies.
  
  
  
  We demonstrated that fluctuation of PUUV seroprevalence is dependent not only on multi-annual but also on seasonal dynamics of rodent host abundance. Moreover, PUUV infection might affect host fitness, because seropositive individuals survived better from spring to summer than uninfected bank voles. Individual space use was independent of PUUV infections.
  
  
  
  Our study provides robust estimations of relevant patterns and processes of the dynamics of PUUV and its rodent host in Central Europe, which are highly important for the future development of predictive models for human hantavirus infection risk.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Julius Kühn-Institute, Toppheideweg 88, 48161, Muenster, Germany. daniela.reil@julius-kuehn.de.|Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Animal Ecology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, 14469, Potsdam, Germany. daniela.reil@julius-kuehn.de.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reil
authors.affiliation: Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Rosenfeld
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Julius Kühn-Institute, Toppheideweg 88, 48161, Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Imholt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Ulrich
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Animal Ecology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, 14469, Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Jana A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Eccard
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Julius Kühn-Institute, Toppheideweg 88, 48161, Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jacob
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D005060:Europe; D006480:Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D029262:Puumala virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: Myodes glareolus; Population dynamics; Puumala virus seroprevalence; Space use; Survival