Skip to main content
Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2003

Hantavirus antibody occurrence in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) during a vole population cycle

Olsson GE, Ahlm C, Elgh F, Verlemyr AC, White N, Juto P, Palo RT

Abstract

Puumala virus, genus Hantavirus, is the etiologic agent of nephropathia epidemica, a mild form of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. The bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) is the natural reservoir species of this hantavirus. We initiated sampling of bank voles at sites of recently identified human nephropathia epidemica cases and paired control sites in the fall of 1995 in coastal areas of northern Sweden. Sites were trapped annually in spring and fall until 1999. Prevalence of antibody to Puumala virus was similar among local bank vole populations in the two types of sites over time. During peak years, however, the absolute number of bank voles was higher in case sites than control sites. Consequently, the likelihood of Puumala virus exposure was increased at case sites during population highs. This would imply that the risk of Puumala virus exposure to conspecifics and humans is habitat and site dependent with a temporal component

Published in

Journal of Wildlife Diseases
2003, volume: 39, number: 2, pages: 299-305
Publisher: WILDLIFE DISEASE ASSN, INC

Authors' information

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Ecology
Palo, Thomas
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Ecology
Verlemyr, Ann-Christin
Ahlm, Clas
Elgh, Fredrik
Juto, Per
White, Neil
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Ecology

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use

Publication Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-39.2.299

URI (permanent link to this page)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/672