Open AccessMultiple Co-infections of Rodents with Hantaviruses,Leptospira,andBabesiain Croatia
Author(s) -
Ante Tadin,
Nenad Turk,
Miša Korva,
Josip Margaletić,
Relja Beck,
Marko Vucelja,
Josipa Habuš,
Petra Svoboda,
Tatjana Avšič-Županc,
Heikki Henttonen,
Alemka Markotić
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
vector borne and zoonotic diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.839
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1557-7759
pISSN - 1530-3667
DOI - 10.1089/vbz.2011.0632
Subject(s) - leptospira , hantavirus , biology , virology , rodent , apodemus , hantavirus infection , babesia , serology , babesiosis , microbiology and biotechnology , pathogen , leptospirosis , antibody , virus , zoology , immunology , ecology
Hantaviruses, Leptospira spp., and Babesia spp. are rodent-borne pathogens present worldwide. We studied multiple co-infections of small rodents in Croatia with all three pathogens. Twenty-eight Apodemus flavicollis and 16 Myodes glareolus were tested for the presence of hantavirus RNA by real-time RT-PCR, Leptospira strains by renoculture method and Babesia DNA by PCR. Anti-hantavirus antibodies and anti-Leptospira antibodies were detected by serological methods. Very high infection rates with each pathogen were found in A. flavicollis: 20 of 28 rodents (71%) were infected with Dobrava virus, 13 rodents (46%) were infected with Leptospira, and 5 rodents (18%) were infected with Babesia. Multiple co-infections with all three pathogens were found in 3 of 28 (11%) A. flavicollis animals, suggesting that the same rodent host can be infected with several pathogens at the same time. Dual infections with both hantaviruses and Leptospira were found in 7 of 44 rodents (16%), with hantaviruses and Babesia in 2 rodents (5%), and double infection with both Leptospira and Babesia were found in 1 rodent (2%). Since hantaviruses, Leptospira, and Babesia have similar geographical distributions, it is to be expected that in other parts of the world multiple co-infections, representing a serious threat to public health, can be found.