Spatial and temporal variation of hantavirus bank vole infection in managed forest landscapes

Abstract

Abstract. Zoonoses are major contributors to emerging infectious diseases globally. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a zoonosis caused by rodent-borne hantaviruses. In Europe, Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) carried and shed by the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), is the most common cause of HFRS. We explore the relationship of PUUV infection in bank voles, as measured by PUUV antibody detection, with habitat and landscape scale properties during two successive vole cycles in boreal Sweden. Our analysis revealed that PUUV infection in the population was not uniform between cycles and across different landscapes. The mean density index of PUUV antibody positive and negative bank voles were highest in old forest, second highest in cut-over forest (approx. 0-30 years old) and lowest on mires. Most importantly, old forest was the core habitat, where PUUV antibody positive bank voles were found through the low density phase and the transition between successive vole cycles. In spring, occurrence of antibody positive voles was negatively related to the proportion of cut-over forest in the surrounding landscape, suggesting that large scale human induced land-use change altered the occurrence of PUUV infection in voles which has not been shown before. Dependence of PUUV infection on habitat and landscape structure, and the variation in infection load within and between cycles are of importance for human risk assessment.

Declining ecosystem health and the dilution effect

“…In this study we focused on the 2003–2013 infection data, published for the first time, while we used available infection data in 1979–1986 (n = 2064 bank voles 31 81 ) for comparison.…”

“…We also included local habitat (meadows and clear-cuts, young and intermediate-aged forest, and old forest) since habitat influences PUUV dynamics (e.g. refs 41 and 81 ). Probability of PUUV infection often increases with weight, a surrogate of bank vole age (e.g.…”

Heterogeneous Puumala orthohantavirus situation in endemic regions in Germany in summer 2019

“…Human PUUV prevalence can be high in any endemic region but more people seem to be affected in the south. The variation in human PUUV prevalence in endemic regions of western Germany may be due to regional differences in forest structure (Magnusson et al, ; Voutilainen et al, ). This region exhibits the highest degree of landscape fragmentation in Germany (Walz, Krüger, & Schumacher, ), a more continuous forest cover in the south can increase human PUUV incidence (Drewes, Turni, et al, ).…”

Spatial prediction and validation of zoonotic hazard through micro-habitat properties: where does Puumala hantavirus hole – up?

“…Moreover, Surrounding landscape structure and connectivity is important for host movement and thus pathogen presence [6, 64], and we cannot rule out the possibility that bank voles moved into the plots just prior to trapping. Different years are characterized by different bank vole densities and landscape distribution [19].…”