Seoul Virus Associated with Pet Rats, Scotland, UK, 2019

Shepherd, James G.; Blunsum, Andrew; Carmichael, Stephen; Smollett, Katherine; Maxwell-Scott, Hector; Farmer, Eoghan C. W.; Osborne, Jane; Maclean, Alasdair; Ashraf, Shirin; Shah, Rajiv; Gunson, Rory; Filipe, Ana da Silva; Aarons, Emma; Thomson, Emma C.

doi:10.3201/eid2710.211298

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The infection is correlated to human-rodent interactions, and so in developed countries, some professional people are more exposed to the risk of contracting the disease (forest workers, pet rats owner, laboratory personnel trapping workers, hunters) [84][85][86][87], meanwhile, in rural or developing countries, the risk is also widespread among the general population [88,89]. Several serological studies have been conducted in many countries of the world, revealing the variable prevalence of it from 6% to 36% [90][91][92][93][94][95].…”

Section: Hantavirusesmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Overview of Anthropogenic Actions as Drivers for Emerging and Re-Emerging Zoonotic Diseases

et al. 2022

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Population growth and industrialization have led to a race for greater food and supply productivity. As a result, the occupation and population of forest areas, contact with wildlife and their respective parasites and vectors, the trafficking and consumption of wildlife, the pollution of water sources, and the accumulation of waste occur more frequently. Concurrently, the agricultural and livestock production for human consumption has accelerated, often in a disorderly way, leading to the deforestation of areas that are essential for the planet’s climatic and ecological balance. The effects of human actions on other ecosystems such as the marine ecosystem cause equally serious damage, such as the pollution of this habitat, and the reduction of the supply of fish and other animals, causing the coastal population to move to the continent. The sum of these factors leads to an increase in the demands such as housing, basic sanitation, and medical assistance, making these populations underserved and vulnerable to the effects of global warming and to the emergence of emerging and re-emerging diseases. In this article, we discuss the anthropic actions such as climate changes, urbanization, deforestation, the trafficking and eating of wild animals, as well as unsustainable agricultural intensification which are drivers for emerging and re-emerging of zoonotic pathogens such as viral (Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Hendravirus, Nipah virus, rabies, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease-2), bacterial (leptospirosis, Lyme borreliosis, and tuberculosis), parasitic (leishmaniasis) and fungal pathogens, which pose a substantial threat to the global community. Finally, we shed light on the urgent demand for the implementation of the One Health concept as a collaborative global approach to raise awareness and educate people about the science behind and the battle against zoonotic pathogens to mitigate the threat for both humans and animals.

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Section: Hantavirusesmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Overview of Anthropogenic Actions as Drivers for Emerging and Re-Emerging Zoonotic Diseases

et al. 2022

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“…In Europe, several studies evaluated the occurrence of SEOV in pet, breeder, and wild rats and detected human disease cases caused by SEOV transmission by pet rats [ 13 , 14 ]. SEOV, which was detected in pet and breeder rats from Great Britain [ 15 ] and the Netherlands [ 16 ] as well as in a pet rat in Sweden that had been imported from England [ 17 ], was associated with human disease cases [ 13 , 14 ]. Studies on wild rats from Belgium indicated the presence of SEOV-reactive antibodies [ 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pet Rats as the Likely Reservoir for Human Seoul Orthohantavirus Infection

Heuser

Drewes

Trimpert

et al. 2023

Viruses

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Seoul orthohantavirus (SEOV) is a rat-associated zoonotic pathogen with an almost worldwide distribution. In 2019, the first autochthonous human case of SEOV-induced hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome was reported in Germany, and a pet rat was identified as the source of the zoonotic infection. To further investigate the SEOV reservoir, additional rats from the patient and another owner, all of which were purchased from the same vendor, were tested. SEOV RNA and anti-SEOV antibodies were found in both of the patient’s rats and in two of the three rats belonging to the other owner. The complete coding sequences of the small (S), medium (M), and large (L) segments obtained from one rat per owner exhibited a high sequence similarity to SEOV strains of breeder rat or human origin from the Netherlands, France, the USA, and Great Britain. Serological screening of 490 rats from breeding facilities and 563 wild rats from Germany (2007–2020) as well as 594 wild rats from the Netherlands (2013–2021) revealed 1 and 6 seropositive individuals, respectively. However, SEOV RNA was not detected in any of these animals. Increased surveillance of pet, breeder, and wild rats is needed to identify the origin of the SEOV strain in Europe and to develop measures to prevent transmission to the human population.

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“…Vertical transmission is less likely because rodent progeny are protected by maternal antibodies ( 5 ). Since 2013, human hantavirus infections transmitted by pet rats have been reported in countries in Europe and the United States ( 6 , 7 ). In the Netherlands, quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) testing revealed 12.2% positivity among feeder rats not linked to human SEOV cases ( 8 ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Recurrent Occupational Hantavirus Infections Linked to Feeder Rodent Breeding Farm, Taiwan, 2022

Wang,

Chang,

Chang

et al. 2024

Emerg. Infect. Dis.

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Seoul Virus Associated with Pet Rats, Scotland, UK, 2019

Abstract: We describe a case of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by Seoul virus in a woman in Scotland, UK. Whole-genome sequencing showed the virus belonged to a lineage characterized by recent international expansion, probably driven by trade in pet rats.

Cited by 8 publications

References 15 publications

An Overview of Anthropogenic Actions as Drivers for Emerging and Re-Emerging Zoonotic Diseases

An Overview of Anthropogenic Actions as Drivers for Emerging and Re-Emerging Zoonotic Diseases

Pet Rats as the Likely Reservoir for Human Seoul Orthohantavirus Infection

Recurrent Occupational Hantavirus Infections Linked to Feeder Rodent Breeding Farm, Taiwan, 2022

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