Distribution and prevalence of Sin Nombre hantavirus in rodent species in eastern New Mexico

In this study, we assessed the prevalence of Sin Nombre virus (SNV) in rodent assembla ges across eastern NM, using RT-qPCR. We screened for potential rodent hosts in the region, as well as identified areas that may pose significant infection risk to humans. We captured and collected blood and lung tissues from 738 rodents belonging to 23 species. 167 individuals from 16 different spe cies were positive for SNV RNA by RT-qPCR, including 6 species unreported in the literature:Onychomys leucogaster (Northern grasshopper mouse),Dipodomys merriami (Merriam ’s kangaroo rat),Dipodomys ordii (Ord ’s kangaroo rat),Dipodomys spectabilis (Banner-tailed kangaroo rat),Perognathus flavus (Silky pocket mouse), andChaetodipus hispidus (Hispid pocket mouse). The infection rates did not differ between sexes or rodent families (i.e., Cricetidae vs. Heteromyidae). Generalized linear model showed that disturbed habitat types positively influenced the prevalence of SNV at sites of survey. Overall, the results of this study indicate that many rodent species in east New Mexico have the potential to maintain SNV in the environment, but further research is needed to assess species specific infectivity mechanisms and potential risk to humans.
Source: PLoS One - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Source Type: research