Temporal and spatial host abundance and prevalence of Andes hantavirus in Southern Argentina

POLOP FRANCISCO; PROVENSAL M. CECILIA; PINNI NOEMÍ; LEVIS SILVANA; PRIOTTO JOSÉ; ENRÍA DELIA; CALDERÓN GLADYS; COSTA FEDERICO; POLOP JAIME

EcoHealth

Springer

Año: 2010 vol. 7 p. 176 - 184

1612-9202

Andes virus (AND) is a hantavirus hosted by the sigmodontine rodent Oligoryzomyslongicaudatus in southern Argentina, where it is responsible for most cases ofHantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). Our study provides data about the spatialvariation in abundance of the rodent host of AND hantavirus. We report results of alongitudinal study performed in a locality of the Andean region of Chubut Province.From November 2003 (Spring) to July 2006 (Winter), O. longicaudatus was the mostcommon species captured (63%) and showed significant differences in abundanceamong habitats and seasons. Most antibody-positive rodents were O. longicaudatus(9.2%), followed by A. longipilis (3.6%) and A. olivaceus (1.5%). The highest numberof antibody-positive animals was observed for males that belonged to the heaviest massclasses. Antibody-positive O. longicaudatus were more abundant in brush habitats. Wefound low richness of rodents and abundance of O. longicaudatus in areas affected byanthropogenic activity. The infection seems to be regionally persistent, but the risk tohumans in a landscape would be localized. To develop accurate models for predictingHPS outbreaks further research is needed to characterize rodent movement patternsacross the landscape.