Dataset Information

Association between predator species richness and human hantavirus infection emergence in Brazil.

ABSTRACT: Hantavirus infection is a rodent-borne disease (RBD) transmitted by urine or feces (as the natural reservoirs) with an annual estimated worldwide incidence of ~150,000 cases. Previous ecological studies suggested that higher species richness of rodents could decrease the risk of RBDs in humans, because the regulatory pressure of predators could reduce contact among rodents, and between humans and rodents. Using surveillance data, we investigated the association of predator species richness with hantavirus infection emergence in 5562 Brazilian inland municipalities between 2007 and 2017. Multivariable logistic regression models were used for the analyses. Diurnal and non-diurnal predator species were independent explanatory variables in the models. Rodent species richness and demographic, socioeconomic, and environmental factors were used as covariates. During the study period, 1084 cases were reported in 429 municipalities. The results showed a reverse-U-shaped association between diurnal predator species richness and hantavirus infection emergence (odds ratio [OR] 0.463, 0.688, and 0.553 for the first [lowest], third, and fourth [highest] quartiles, respectively, using the second quartile as a reference), while higher non-diurnal predator species richness tended to be associated with higher emergence risk (OR 0.134, 1.065, and 2.708 for the first, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively). The difference in these associations illustrates the complexity of the effects of predator species richness on human RBDs, which require further investigation in follow-up studies. The results showed a close link between environmental factors and public health, emphasizing that the One Health concept should be employed to understand the dynamics of RBDs.

SUBMITTER: Min KD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7701261 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Association between predator species richness and human hantavirus infection emergence in Brazil.

Min Kyung-Duk KD Schneider Maria Cristina MC Cho Sung-Il SI

One health (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 20201113

Hantavirus infection is a rodent-borne disease (RBD) transmitted by urine or feces (as the natural reservoirs) with an annual estimated worldwide incidence of ~150,000 cases. Previous ecological studies suggested that higher species richness of rodents could decrease the risk of RBDs in humans, because the regulatory pressure of predators could reduce contact among rodents, and between humans and rodents. Using surveillance data, we investigated the association of predator species richness with ...[more]

PMID: 33294581

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Project description:BackgroundPuumala virus (PUUV) is the most important hantavirus species in Central Europe. Nephropathia epidemica (NE), caused by PUUV, is characterized by acute renal injury (AKI) with thrombocytopenia and frequently gastrointestinal symptoms.Methods456 patients with serologically and clinically confirmed NE were investigated at time of follow-up in a single clinic. The course of the NE was investigated using medical reports. We identified patients who had endoscopy with intestinal biopsy during acute phase of NE. Histopathological, immunohistochemical and molecular analyses of the biopsies were performed.ResultsThirteen patients underwent colonoscopy or gastroscopy for abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting during acute phase of NE. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) revealed PUUV nucleocapsid antigen in 11 biopsies from 8 patients; 14 biopsies from 5 patients were negative for PUUV nucleocapsid antigen. IHC localized PUUV nucleocapsid antigen in endothelial cells of capillaries or larger vessels in the lamina propria. Rate of AKI was not higher and severity of AKI was not different in the PUUV-positive compared to the PUUV-negative group. All IHC positive biopsies were positive for PUUV RNA using RT-PCR. Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed clustering of all PUUV strains from this study with viruses previously detected from the South-West of Germany. Long-term outcome was favorable in both groups.ConclusionsIn patients with NE, PUUV nucleocapsid antigen and PUUV RNA was detected frequently in the intestine. This finding could explain frequent GI-symptoms in NE patients, thus demonstration of a more generalized PUUV infection. The RT-PCR was an effective and sensitive method to detect PUUV RNA in FFPE tissues. Therefore, it can be used as a diagnostic and phylogenetic approach also for archival materials. AKI was not more often present in patients with PUUV-positive IHC. This last finding should be investigated in larger numbers of patients with PUUV infection.

Project description:High species diversity of the potential animal host community for a zoonotic pathogen may reduce pathogen transmission among the most competent host, a phenomenon called the "dilution effect", but the mechanisms driving this effect have been little studied. One proposed mechanism is "encounter reduction" where host species of low-competency decrease contact rates between infected and susceptible competent hosts, especially in directly transmitted diseases. We conducted an experiment in outdoor enclosures in northwestern Mexico where we manipulated rodent assemblages to assess the effect of species richness on the frequency of intra- and interspecific interactions and activity patterns of a hantavirus reservoir host (North American deermouse; Peromyscus maniculatus). Trials consisted of three treatments of rodent assemblages that differed in species richness, but had equal abundance of deermice; treatment 1 consisted of only deermice, treatment 2 included deermice and one non-competent host species, and treatment 3 included two non-competent host species in addition to deermice. To measure interactions and temporal activity, we strategically deployed foraging stations and infrared cameras. We did not find differences in the frequency of intraspecific interactions of deermice among treatments, but there were significantly more interspecific interactions between deermouse and non-competent hosts in treatment 2 than treatment 3, which is explained by the identity of the non-competent host species. In addition, there were differences in activity patterns between rodent species, and also between deermice from treatment 1 and treatment 2. These results indicate that at least at a small-scale analysis, the co-occurrence with other species in the study area does not influence the frequency of intraspecific interactions of deermice, and that deermice may be changing their activity patterns to avoid a particular non-competent host species (Dipodomys merriami). In conclusion, in this deermouse-hantavirus system a potential dilution effect would not be through intraspecific encounter reduction in the most competent hantavirus host. To identify variables of host assemblages that can influence pathogen transmission, we highlight the need to address the identity of species and the composition of assemblages, not only host species richness or diversity.

Dataset Information

Association between predator species richness and human hantavirus infection emergence in Brazil.

Publications

Association between predator species richness and human hantavirus infection emergence in Brazil.

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