Naslov
Survey for hantaviruses, tick-borne encephalitis virus and Rickettsia spp. in small rodents in Croatia

Autori
Svoboda, Petra ; Dobler, Gerhard ; Markotić, Alemka ; Kurolt, Ivan-Christian ; Speck, Stephanie ; Habuš, Josipa ; Vucelja, Marko ; Cvetko Krajinović, Lidija ; Tadin, Ante ; Margaletić, Josip ; Essbauer, Sandra

Izvornik
Vector-borne and zoonotic diseases (1530-3667) 14 (2014), 7; 523-530

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Hantavirus; Rickettsia; rodents; tick-borne encephalitis virus; zoonosis

Sažetak
In Croatia, several rodent- and vector-borne agents are endemic and of medical importance. In this study we investigated hantaviruses, and for the first time tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), and Rickettsia spp. in small wild rodents from two different sites (mountainous and lowland region) in Croatia. In total, 194 transudate and tissue samples from 170 rodents (Apodemus flavicollis, n=115 ; A. agrarius, n=2 ; Myodes glareolus, n=53) were tested for antibodies by indirect immunoflourescence assays (IIFT) and for nucleic acids by conventional (hantaviruses) and real-time RT-/PCRs (TBEV and Rickettsia spp). 25.5% (24/94) of the rodents from the mountainous area revealed specific antibodies against hantaviruses. 21.3% (20/94) of the samples from the mountainous area and 29.0% (9/31) from the lowland area yielded positive results for either Puumala virus (PUUV) or Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV) using a conventional RT-PCR. All processed samples (n=194) were negative for TBEV by IIFT or real-time RT-PCR. Serological evidence of rickettsial infection was detected in 4.3% (4/94) rodents from the mountainous region. Another 3.2% (3/94) rodents were positive for Rickettsia spp. by real-time PCR. None of the rodents (n=76) from the lowland area reacted positive for Rickettsia spp. by real-time PCR. Dual infection of PUUV and Rickettsia spp. was found in one M. glareolus from the mountainous area by RT-PCR and real-time PCR, respectively. To our knowledge this is the first detection of Rickettsia spp. in small rodents from Croatia. Phylogenetic analyses of S- and M-segment sequences obtained from the two study sites revealed well-supported subgroups in Croatian PUUV and DOBV. Although somewhat limited, our data showed occurrence and prevalence of PUUV, DOBV and rickettsiae in Croatia. Further studies are warranted to confirm these data and to determine the Rickettsia species present in rodents in these areas.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija, Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita, Veterinarska medicina

POVEZANOST RADA