Ecological study of hantavirus infection in wild rodents in an endemic area in Brazil

• Published in: Acta tropica 2014-03, Vol.131, p.1-10
• Main Authors: Oliveira, Renata Carvalho, Gentile, Rosana, Guterres, Alexandro, Fernandes, Jorlan, Teixeira, Bernardo Rodrigues, Vaz, Vanderson, Valdez, Fernanda Pedone, Vicente, Luciana Helena Bassan, da Costa-Neto, Sócrates Fraga, Bonvicino, Cibele, D’Andrea, Paulo Sergio, Lemos, Elba R.S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Akodon montensis; Animals; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Brazil - epidemiology; Female; Hantavirus; Hantavirus - classification; Hantavirus - immunology; Hantavirus - isolation & purification; Hantavirus Infections - epidemiology; Hantavirus Infections - veterinary; Hantavirus Infections - virology; Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome - epidemiology; Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome - virology; Humans; Jabora virus; Juquitiba virus; Male; Murinae; Population Dynamics; Population ecology; Prevalence; Rodent Diseases; Rodentia - virology; Rodents; Seasons; Sex Factors; Sigmodontinae
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.11.016

The present paper reports a 3-year population dynamic study of the hantavirus rodents’ reservoirs in an endemic area of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, Southern Brazil. •Antibody reactivity to hantavirus was detected in five sigmodontine species.•Hantavirus prevalence dynamics showed a seasonal pattern with higher prevalence in spring/summer.•Rodent species presented different descriptive models of hantavirus infection.•Spillover infections on secondary hosts were observed for Juquitiba and Jabora viruses.•Bamboo blooming during the studied period may have favored the increases in population sizes. A 3-year ecological study of small mammals was carried out in an endemic area for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the state of Santa Catarina in Southern Brazil. A total of 994 rodents of 14 different species corresponding to the subfamilies of Sigmodontinae, Murinae, Eumysopinae, and Caviinae were captured during 2004–2006. Oligoryzomys nigripes and Akodon montensis were the most abundant species and showed a clear seasonal pattern with higher population sizes during the winter. Rodent population outbreaks, associated within bamboo mast seeding events, were detected predominantly in areas where hantavirus pulmonary syndrome cases were notified in the state. Antibody reactivity to Hantavirus was detected in five sigmodontine species: O. nigripes (39/435), A. montensis (15/318), Akodon paranaensis (4/37), Thaptomys nigrita (1/86) and Sooretamys angouya (1/12). The highest hantavirus antibody prevalence occurred during the period of highest population size in A. montensis. For O. nigripes, hantavirus prevalence was higher in late spring, when reproduction was more frequent. Co-circulation of Juquitiba (JUQV) and Jabora (JABV) viruses was observed – JABV in A. paranaensis and A. montensis; JUQV in O. nigripes and T. nigrita. JABV occurrence was associated to gender and population size of the rodent while JUQV was related to gender, season, temperature, and locality.