Demographic Factors Associated with Hantavirus Infection in Bank Voles (Clethrionomys glareolus)

摘要

The bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) is the natural reservoir of Puumala virus (PUUV), a species in thegenus Hantavirus. PUUV is the etiologic agent of nephropathia epidemica, a mild form of hemorrhagicfever with renal syndrome. Factors that influence hantavirus transmission within host populations are notwell understood. We evaluated a number of factors influencing on the association of increased PUUVinfection in bank voles captured in a region in northern Sweden endemic for the virus. Logistic regressionshowed four factors that together correctly predicted 80% of the model outcome: age, body mass index,population phase during sampling (increase, peak, or decline/low), and gender. This analysis highlightsthe importance of population demography in the successful circulation of hantavirus. The chance of infec-tion was greatest during the peak of the population cycle, implying that the likelihood of exposure to han-tavirus increases with increasing population density