Small mammal virology

Abstract

Most viral infections in small mammals are transient and rarely produce clinical signs. When clinical signs do appear, they are often of a multifactorial etiology such as respiratory infection with Sendai virus and the bacteria M. pulmonis in rodents. Diagnosis is generally made based on clinical signs, while therapy involves treatment for concurrent bacterial infections and supportive care. Small mammals may carry zoonotic viruses such as LCMV, but natural infections are uncommon. Viral diseases are rare (or largely unknown) for hedgehogs, chinchillas, and prairie dogs, while no known naturally occurring, clinically relevant viral diseases exist for gerbils and sugar gliders. This article is intended to aid the clinician in identifying viral infections in small mammals and to help determine the significance each virus has during clinical disease.

Potentially Zoonotic Viruses in Wild Rodents, United Arab Emirates, 2019—A Pilot Study

“…The notable exception is the brown rat ( Rattus norvegicus ), which is the natural host for Seoul virus, being distributed worldwide due to international trade [ 13 ]. Another typically rodent-borne virus is LCMV, with its primary host being the house mouse, but it has also been found in other rodents, and many other mammals have been experimentally infected, such as rabbits, dogs, and pigs [ 15 , 55 , 56 ]. RusV, the causative agent of ‘staggering disease’ in domestic cats, was first identified in zoo animals, and later also in yellow-necked field mice in Germany.…”

The Widespread Evolutionary Significance of Viruses

“…Overall, we know that wild-caught rodents seldom show signs of acute virus infection ( Kashuba et al , 2005 ). However, asymptomatic virus persistence is ubiquitous in wild rodents ( Descoteaux et al , 1977 ;Gannon and Carthew, 1980 ;Schoondermark-van de Ven et al , 2006 ), including voles ( Descoteaux and Mihok, 1986 ).…”

“…Other small mammals have yet to show any viral disease whatsoever (hedgehogs, chinchillas, prairie dogs, gerbils, sugar gliders) ( Kashuba et al , 2005 ). Thus, asymptomatic persistent viral infection is clearly the norm in rodents.…”

Identification of Aichivirus in a Pet Rat (Rattus norvegicus) in Italy

“…The importance of identifying and understanding these connections to control and prevent disease is reminded by the emergence of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Consequently, there is an increasing research focus on viruses that cause disease in companion animals, which consequently affect human health [ 11 , 12 ].…”