Hantaviren in Deutschland

• Main Authors: Reil, Daniela, Binder, Florian, Freise, Jona, Imholt, Christian, Beyrers, Konrad, Jacob, Jens, Krüger, Detlev H., Hofmann, Jörg, Dreesman, Johannes, Ulrich, Rainer Günter
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: German
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: ddc:570; Institut für Biochemie und Biologie; Tula; Common vole; Microtus arvalis
• Online Access: https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/opus4-ubp/frontdoor/index/index/docId/51220; https://doi.org/10.2376/0005-9366-18003

Hantaviruses are small mammal-associated pathogens that are found in rodents but also in shrews, moles and bats. Aim of this manuscript is to give a current overview of the epidemiology and ecology of hantaviruses in Germany and to discuss respective models for the prediction of virus outbreaks. In Germany the majority of human disease cases are caused by the Puumala virus (PUUV), transmitted by the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). PUUV is associated with the Western evolutionary lineage of the bank vole and is not present in the eastern and northern parts of Germany. A second human pathogenic hantavirus is the Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV), genotype Kurkino; its reservoir host, the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), is mostly occurring in the eastern part of Germany. A PUUV-related hantavirus is the rarely pathogenic Tula virus (TULV), that is associated with the common vole (Microtus arvalis). In addition, Seewis virus, Asikkala virus, and Bruges virus are shrew- and mole-associated hantaviruses with still unknown pathogenicity in humans. Human disease cases are associated with the different hantaviruses according to their regional distribution. The viruses can cause mild to severe but also subclinical courses of the respective disease. The number of human PUUV disease cases in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2017 correlates with the occurrence of high levels of seed production of beech trees ("beech mast") in the preceding year. Models based on weather parameters for the prediction of PUUV disease clusters as developed in recent years need further validation and optimisation. in addition to the abundance of infected reservoir rodents, the exposure behaviour of humans affects the risk of human infection. The application of robust forecast models can assist the public health service to develop and communicate spatially and temporally targeted information. Thus, further recommendations to mitigate infection risk for the public may be provided. Hantaviren sind Kleinsäuger-assoziierte Krankheitserreger, die vor ...