Patterns of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Infection in Rodents in Slovenia

Abstract

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is the most important causative agent of arboviral infection in Europe, causing neurologic symptoms. The incidence of the disease has greatly increased over the past decades, and in the meantime, some changes in spatial distribution of TBE cases have been observed. Therefore, it is important to recognize the distribution of endemic areas, to use preventive measures successfully. In this study, rodents from all over Slovenia were evaluated as suitable sentinels for TBEV distribution. Rodents from four species (Myodes glareolus, Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus sylvaticus, and Apodemus agrarius) were screened for the presence of TBEV antibodies with immunofluorescence assay; the antibodies were detected in 5.9% of sera. The prevalence of infection varied according to the rodent species and according to the region of trapping. Select rodents were also screened for the presence of TBEV RNA in several organs. Both analyses showed higher rate of infection in bank voles, which also produced higher titers of anti-TBEV antibodies and a higher TBEV RNA viral load compared with mice. The regional prevalence of infection in rodents can be correlated with the incidence of disease. Molecular results indicate that the virus can be detected in the organs of the rodents for longer periods, indicating prolonged infections of the rodent hosts by the virus. Rodents can therefore be used as a useful indicator of the circulation of TBEV in an area.

Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Infects Rat Astrocytes but Does Not Affect Their Viability

“…The concentration of TBEV RNA was measured using one-step quantitative real time RT-PCR [34]. Vero E6 cells were infected with TBEV and the virus concentration was measured in the supernatant collected from Vero E6 cells 7 days post infection (p.i.)…”

Molecular Survey of Zoonotic Agents in Rodents and Other Small Mammals in Croatia

“…[10][11][12][13][14] Rodents can also be infected with flaviviruses, orthopoxviruses, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV); however, to our knowledge, there are no published reports of investigation for the presence of these viruses in Croatia. [15][16][17] Rodents in Croatia are also reservoirs of protozoan Apicomplexa parasites, including Toxoplasma and Babesia that cause toxoplasmosis and babesiosis, respectively, mainly in immunocompromised individuals.…”

Epidemiological and Ecological Studies of Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus

“…TBEV infection can persist in rodents for several months and even throughout the years, but it is unclear how much this contributes to the transmission and overwintering of the virus [73][74][75][76].…”