Association of Intraspecific Wounding with Hantaviral Infection in Wild Rats (Rattus norvegicus)
Abstract
Hantaviruses (genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae) are the etiological agents of a group of human illnesses collectively referred to as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Rodents are their major reservoirs, and disease in humans is associated with close contact with the rodents, their secreta, or excreta. The potential for hantaviral transmission among wild Norway rats by wounding associated with aggressive interactions was evaluated using a prospective seroepidemiological study coupled with a mark-release-recapture survey. There was a significant association between an animal's serological status and the presence of wounds. Longitudinal studies of marked and released animals showed seroconversion between captures was associated with wounding between captures more often (33%) than expected by chance, while unwounded animals seroconverted less often (8%) than expected. Typically, less than a 5 % difference was found when comparing the incidence of seroconversion with the predicted rate based on wounding and seroprevalence. Infection was highly associated with the onset of sexual maturity and aggression but decoupled from rat age and the length of environmental exposure. Seroconversions occurred at times most associated with aggressive encounters and least associated with amicable behaviors that could lead to aerosol transmission. Reprints.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA204675
Entities
People
- G. E. Glass
- G. W. Korch
- J. E. Childs
- J. W. Leduc
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University