Spatiotemporal dynamics of Puumala hantavirus associated with its rodent host, Myodes glareolus

Abstract

Many viruses significantly impact human and animal health. Understanding the population dynamics of these viruses and their hosts can provide important insights for epidemiology and virus evolution. Puumala virus (PUUV) is a European hantavirus that may cause regional outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in humans. Here, we analyzed the spatiotemporal dynamics of PUUV circulating in local populations of its rodent reservoir host, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus) during eight years. Phylogenetic and population genetic analyses of all three genome segments of PUUV showed strong geographical structuring at a very local scale. There was a high temporal turnover of virus strains in the local bank vole populations, but several virus strains persisted through multiple years. Phylodynamic analyses showed no significant changes in the local effective population sizes of PUUV, although vole numbers and virus prevalence fluctuated widely. Microsatellite data demonstrated also a temporally persisting subdivision between local vole populations, but these groups did not correspond to the subdivision in the virus strains. We conclude that restricted transmission between vole populations and genetic drift play important roles in shaping the genetic structure and temporal dynamics of PUUV in its natural host which has several implications for zoonotic risks of the human population.

Heterogeneous Puumala orthohantavirus situation in endemic regions in Germany in summer 2019

“…Puumala orthohantavirus RNA detection rate in the bank vole varied considerably with a peak at about 60% in the south and parts of the north‐west, almost reaching values observed during previous PUUV outbreaks. For instance, PUUV RNA detection rate in district Osnabrück in spring of previous outbreak years was 86% (2010) and 75% (2012) (Weber de Melo et al, ). However, in other regions in the north‐west and in central Germany PUUV RNA detection rate was low and did not reach prevalence values reported for previous outbreaks of PUUV in Germany (Reil et al, ).…”

Host-Associated Absence of Human Puumala Virus Infections in Northern and Eastern Germany

“…These public health measures of monitoring local bank voles for PUUV strains ( 4 ) should be expanded to evaluate for further northeastern expansion.…”

“…Including results of previously published studies ( 3 , 4 , 7 ), PUUV seroprevalence in the endemic regions showed an average of 23.9% and varied between 4.6% and 66.7% (Technical Appendix Table). According to the serologic and RT-PCR data, a PUUV-endemic region can be identified spanning the western and southern parts of Germany (Figure 1, panel A, below the dotted red line).…”

“…In addition, an 8-year monitoring study on the bank vole populations in a PUUV-endemic region of northwestern Germany indicated the long-term presence of particular PUUV strains ( 4 ). …”

Spatio‐temporal analysis of Nova virus, a divergent hantavirus circulating in the European mole in Belgium

“…; Weber de Melo et al . ). While hantaviruses were shown to be subjected to genetic drift and reassortment at a local scale, part of the variation was transient and balancing selection, limiting amino acid changes, was also noticed with other hantaviruses (Razzauti et al .…”