The impact of wildlife and environmental factors on hantavirus infection in the host and its translation into human risk

Abstract

Identifying factors that drive infection dynamics in reservoir host populations is essential in understanding human risk from wildlife-originated zoonoses. We studied zoonotic Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) in the host, the bank vole ( Myodes glareolus ), populations in relation to the host population, rodent and predator community and environment-related factors and whether these processes are translated into human infection incidence. We used 5-year rodent trapping and bank vole PUUV serology data collected from 30 sites located in 24 municipalities in Finland. We found that PUUV seroprevalence in the host was negatively associated with the abundance of red foxes, but this process did not translate into human disease incidence, which showed no association with PUUV seroprevalence. The abundance of weasels, the proportion of juvenile bank voles in the host populations and rodent species diversity were negatively associated with the abundance index of PUUV positive bank voles, which, in turn, showed a positive association with human disease incidence. Our results suggest certain predators, a high proportion of young bank vole individuals, and a diverse rodent community, may reduce PUUV risk for humans through their negative impacts on the abundance of infected bank voles.

Genes, inflammatory response, tolerance, and resistance to virus infections in migratory birds, bats, and rodents

“…Virome investigations of free-living birds and exploration of the impact of environmental factors on viral infection in the hosts may help to detect virus species with potential translation into human risk ( 79 , 80 ). In keeping with these ideas, the virome of cloacal swab specimens collected from 3182 birds including more than 87 different species (mostly wild species), from 10 different avian orders was investigated ( 81 ).…”

Epidemiology and Clinical Course of Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome in New Endemic Area for Hantavirus Infection in Croatia

“…Two hantaviruses, Puumala virus (PUUV) and Dobrava–Belgrade virus, predominate in Europe, while the Seoul virus is frequently described as the pathogen causing urban hantavirus infections [ 1 ]. Nephropatia endemica is a frequently used synonym for the mild clinical forms of HFRS caused by PUUV, and is widely spread in Scandinavia, central and western Europe, and the European part of the Russian federation [ 3 ]. Persistently infected rodents are reservoirs for all known pathogenic hantaviruses, and are transmitted to humans by aerosols.…”