Serological Survey of Zoonotic Viruses in Invasive and Native Commensal Rodents in Senegal, West Africa

• Published in: Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases
• Main Authors: Diagne, Christophe A., Charbonnel, Nathalie, Henttonen, Heikki, Sironen, Tarja, Brouat, Carine
• Other Authors: Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar Sénégal (UCAD), Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD Sénégal ), Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations (UMR CBGP), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD France-Sud )-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), Helsingin yliopisto = Helsingfors universitet = University of Helsinki
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2017
• Subjects: Hantavirus; Mammarenavirus; Orthopoxvirus; rodents; biological invasions; serology; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Rattus rattus
• Online Access: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-02618852; https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2017.2135

International audience Increasing studies on rodent-borne diseases still highlight the major role of rodents as reservoirs of numerous zoonoses of which the frequency is likely to increase worldwide as a result of accelerated anthropogenic changes, including biological invasions. Such a situation makes pathogen detection in rodent populations important, especially in the context of developing countries characterized by high infectious disease burden. Here, we used indirect fluorescent antibody tests to describe the circulation of potentially zoonotic viruses in both invasive (Mus musculus domesticus and Rattus rattus) and native (Mastomys erythroleucus and Mastomys natalensis) murine rodent populations in Senegal (West Africa). Of the 672 rodents tested, we reported 22 seropositive tests for Hantavirus, Orthopoxvirus, and Mammarenavirus genera, and no evidence of viral coinfection. This study is the first to report serological detection of Orthopoxvirus in rodents from Senegal, Mammarenavirus in R. rattus from Africa, and Hantavirus in M. m. domesticus and in M. erythroleucus. Further specific identification of the viral agents highlighted here is urgently needed for crucial public health concerns.