Rodents as Sentinels for the Prevalence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus

• Published in: Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases
• Main Authors: Achazi, K., Růžek, D. (Daniel), Donoso-Mantke, O., Schlegel, M., Ali, H. S., Wenk, M., Schmidt-Chanasit, J., Ohlmeyer, L., Ruhe, F., Vor, T., Kiffner, Ch., Kallies, R., Ulrich, R. G., Niedrig, M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Distribution; Monitoring; Rodents; Tick-borne encephalitis; Zoonosis; Microtus arvalis
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2010.0236; http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0198738

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) causes one of the most important flavivirus infections of the central nervous system, affecting humans in Europe and Asia. To test the suitability of rodents as a surrogate marker for virus spread, laboratory-bred Microtus arvalis voles were experimentally infected with TBEV and analyzed over a period of 100 days by real-time (RT)-quantitative PCR. Further, the prevalence of TBEV in rodents trapped in Brandenburg (Germany) was determined. In experimentally infected M. arvalis voles, TBEV was detectable in different organs for at least 3 months and in blood for 1 month. 10% of all rodents investigated were positive for TBEV. TBEV was detected in 6 rodent species: Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus sylvaticus, Microtus agrestis, Microtus arvalis, and Myodes glareolus. M. glareolus showed a high infection rate in all areas investigated. These voles developed a persistent TBE infection without clinical symptoms.