Hantavirus and arenavirus antibody prevalence in rodents and humans in Trentino, Northern Italy

The spatial and temporal distribution of hantavirus and arenavirus antibody-positive wild rodents in Trentino, Italy, was studied using immunofluorescence assays (IFA) in two long-term sites trapped in 2000–2003, and six other sites trapped in 2002. The overall hantavirus seroprevalence in the bank voles, Clethrionomys glareolus (n=229) screened for Puumala virus (PUUV) antibodies was 0·4%, and that for Apodemus flavicollis mice (n=1416) screened for Dobrava virus (DOBV) antibodies was 0·2%. Antibodies against lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) were found in 82 (5·6%) of the 1472 tested rodents; the seroprevalence being 6·1% in A. flavicollis (n=1181), 3·3% in C. glareolus (n=276), and 14·3% in Microtus arvalis (n=7). Of the serum samples of 488 forestry workers studied by IFA, 12 were LCMV-IgG positive (2·5%) and one DOBV-IgG positive (0·2%), however, the latter could not be confirmed DOBV-specific with a neutralization assay. Our results show a widespread distribution but low prevalence of DOBV in Trentino, and demonstrate that the arenavirus antibodies are a common finding in several other rodent species besides the house mouse.

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Serological evidence for the reservoir hosts of cowpox virus in British wildlife

Epidemiology and Infection ◽

10.1017/s0950268800058258 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 115 (1) ◽

pp. 185-191 ◽

Cited By ~ 79

Author(s):

A. C. Crouch ◽

D. Baxby ◽

C. M. McCracken ◽

R. M. Gaskell ◽

M. Bennett

Keyword(s):

Western Europe ◽

Animal Species ◽

Reservoir Host ◽

Clethrionomys Glareolus ◽

Cowpox Virus ◽

Wild Rodents ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Wood Mice ◽

Bank Voles ◽

Reservoir Hosts

SummaryThe reservoir host of cowpox virus in Western Europe is not known, but epidemiological evidence from human and feline infections indicates that the virus is probably endemic in small wild rodents. Therefore, serum and tissue samples were collected from a variety of wild British mammals and some birds, and tested for evidence of Orthopoxvirus infection. Antibody reacting with cowpox virus was detected in 9/44 (20%) bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus), 8/24 (33%) field voles (Microtus agrestis), 17/86 (20%) wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) and 1/44 house mice (Mus musculus), but in no other animal species tested. Although virus was not isolated from any animal, this serological survey, together with other evidence, suggests that bank and field voles and wood mice are the main reservoir hosts of cowpox virus in Great Britain.

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A longitudinal study of an endemic disease in its wildlife reservoir: cowpox and wild rodents

Epidemiology and Infection ◽

10.1017/s0950268899003799 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 124 (3) ◽

pp. 551-562 ◽

Cited By ~ 66

Author(s):

S. M. HAZEL ◽

M. BENNETT ◽

J. CHANTREY ◽

K. BOWN ◽

R. CAVANAGH ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Study ◽

Reservoir Host ◽

Clethrionomys Glareolus ◽

Human Beings ◽

Wild Rodents ◽

Wild Rodent ◽

Wild Mammals ◽

Wood Mice ◽

Zoonotic Infections ◽

Bank Voles

Cowpox is an orthopoxvirus infection endemic in European wild rodents, but with a wide host range including human beings. In this longitudinal study we examined cowpox in two wild rodent species, bank voles Clethrionomys glareolus and wood mice Apodemus sylvaticus, to investigate the dynamics of a virus in its wild reservoir host. Trapping was carried out at 4-weekly intervals over 3 years and each animal caught was uniquely identified, blood sampled and tested for antibodies to cowpox. Antibody prevalence was higher in bank voles than in wood mice and seroconversion varied seasonally, with peaks in autumn. Infection was most common in males of both species but no clear association with age was demonstrated. This study provides a model for studying other zoonotic infections that derive from wild mammals since other approaches, such as one-off samples, will fail to detect the variation in infection and thus, risk to human health, demonstrated here.

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Medium-term temporal stability of the helminth component community structure in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) from the Mazury Lake District region of Poland

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182004006389 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 130 (2) ◽

pp. 213-228 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

A. BAJER ◽

J. M. BEHNKE ◽

A. PAWEŁCZYK ◽

K. KULIŚ ◽

M. J. SEREDA ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Seasonal Variation ◽

Relative Stability ◽

Clethrionomys Glareolus ◽

Host Age ◽

Wild Rodents ◽

Component Community ◽

Bank Voles ◽

Helminth Communities ◽

Index Of Diversity

The structure of helminth communities in wild rodents is subject to seasonal variation, and is dependent on host age within years. Although between-year variation has been monitored, seldom has it been assessed rigorously by appropriate multifactorial analysis with potentially confounding factors taken into account. In this study we tested the null hypothesis that despite seasonal, host age and sex effects, helminth communities should show relative stability between years. Over a period of 3 years (1998–2000) we sampled bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) populations (totaln=250) at 2 points in the year: in spring, at the start of the breeding season, and in autumn, after the cessation of breeding. In spite of seasonal differences and strong age effects, the between-year effects were surprisingly small. Measures of component community structure (Berger-Parker dominance index, the dominant species,S. petrusewiczi) did not vary, or varied only slightly from year to year. The majority of measures of infracommunity structure [Brillouin's index of diversity, prevalence of all helminths combined, prevalence and abundance ofH. mixtum(the most prevalent helminth), mean species richness] did not differ significantly between years when other factors such as age, sex and seasonal variation had been taken into account. Some between-year variations were found (at the component community level, Simpson's index of diversity; at the infracommunity level, prevalence and abundance ofS. petrusewicziand abundance of all helminths combined), but even these were modest in comparison to seasonal and age differences, and were primarily attributable toS. petrusewiczi. We conclude that despite dynamic within-year fluctuations, helminth communities in bank voles in this region of Poland show relative stability across years. The sporadic occurrence of individual platyhelminths at low prevalence, makes little difference to the overall structure, which is largely maintained by the key roles played by the dominant intestinal nematodes of bank voles and the rarer species collectively.

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Evaluation of a Pseudovirus Neutralization Assay for SARS-CoV-2 and Correlation with Live Virus-Based Micro Neutralization Assay

Diagnostics ◽

10.3390/diagnostics11060994 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 994

Author(s):

Ahmed Majdi K. Tolah ◽

Sayed S. Sohrab ◽

Khaled Majdi K. Tolah ◽

Ahmed M. Hassan ◽

Sherif A. El-Kafrawy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Neutralization Assay ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Live Virus ◽

Spike Gene ◽

Microneutralization Assay ◽

Viral Particles ◽

Reliable Performance ◽

Prior Infection

The unusual cases of pneumonia outbreak were reported from Wuhan city in late December 2019. Serological testing provides a powerful tool for the identification of prior infection and for epidemiological studies. Pseudotype virus neutralization assays are widely used for many viruses and applications in the fields of serology. The accuracy of pseudotype neutralizing assay allows for its use in low biosafety lab and provides a safe and effective alternative to the use of wild-type viruses. In this study, we evaluated the performance of this assay compared to the standard microneutralization assay as a reference. The lentiviral pseudotype particles were generated harboring the Spike gene of SARS-CoV-2. The generated pseudotype particles assay was used to evaluate the activity of neutralizing antibodies in 300 human serum samples from a COVID-19 sero-epidemiological study. Testing of these samples resulted in 55 positive samples and 245 negative samples by pseudotype viral particles assay while microneutralization assay resulted in 64 positive and 236 negative by MN assay. Compared to the MN, the pseudotyped viral particles assay showed a sensitivity of 85.94% and a specificity of 100%. Based on the data generated from this study, the pseudotype-based neutralization assay showed a reliable performance for the detection of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and can be used safely and efficiently as a diagnostic tool in a biosafety level 2 laboratory.

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Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Infection in Eurasian Badger (Meles meles) and Cattle in Asturias, Spain

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11051294 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 1294

Author(s):

Cristina Blanco Blanco Vázquez ◽

Thiago Doria Barral ◽

Beatriz Romero ◽

Manuel Queipo ◽

Isabel Merediz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Complex ◽

Temporal Distribution ◽

Meles Meles ◽

Interspecies Transmission ◽

Tuberculosis Complex ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Study Objective ◽

Infection Pressure

The present work investigated the prevalence, spatial distribution, and temporal distribution of tuberculosis (TB) in free-ranging Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) and cattle in Asturias (Atlantic Spain) during a 13-year follow-up. The study objective was to assess the role of badgers as a TB reservoir for cattle and other sympatric wild species in the region. Between 2008 and 2020, 673 badgers (98 trapped and 575 killed in road traffic accidents) in Asturias were necropsied, and their tissue samples were cultured for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) isolation. Serum samples were tested in an in-house indirect P22 ELISA to detect antibodies against the MTC. In parallel, data on MTC isolation and single intradermal tuberculin test results were extracted for cattle that were tested and culled as part of the Spanish National Program for the Eradication of Bovine TB. A total of 27/639 badgers (4.23%) were positive for MTC based on bacterial isolation, while 160/673 badgers (23.77%) were found to be positive with the P22 ELISA. The rate of seropositivity was higher among adult badgers than subadults. Badger TB status was spatially and temporally associated with cattle TB status. Our results cannot determine the direction of possible interspecies transmission, but they are consistent with the idea that the two hosts may exert infection pressure on each other. This study highlights the importance of the wildlife monitoring of infection and disease during epidemiological interventions in order to optimize outcomes.

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Use of a Toxin Neutralization Assay To Characterize the Serologic Response to Adenylate Cyclase Toxin after Infection with Bordetella pertussis

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology ◽

10.1128/cvi.00370-16 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Joshua C. Eby ◽

Mary C. Gray ◽

Jason M. Warfel ◽

Tod J. Merkel ◽

Erik L. Hewlett

Keyword(s):

Adenylate Cyclase ◽

Bordetella Pertussis ◽

Neutralization Assay ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Immunologic Response ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Content Type ◽

Adenylate Cyclase Toxin ◽

Strong Candidate ◽

Candidate Antigen

ABSTRACT Adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) is an essential virulence factor of Bordetella pertussis, and antibodies to ACT protect against B. pertussis infection in mice. The toxin is therefore a strong candidate antigen for addition to future acellular pertussis vaccines. In order to characterize the functionality of the immunologic response to ACT after infection, we developed an assay for testing the ability of serum samples from subjects infected with B. pertussis to neutralize ACT-induced cytotoxicity in J774 macrophage cells. Baboons develop neutralizing anti-ACT antibodies following infection with B. pertussis, and all sera from baboons with positive anti-ACT IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results neutralized ACT cytotoxicity. The toxin neutralization assay (TNA) was positive in some baboon sera in which ELISA remained negative. Of serum samples obtained from humans diagnosed with pertussis by PCR, anti-ACT IgG ELISA was positive in 72%, and TNA was positive in 83%. All samples positive for anti-ACT IgG ELISA were positive by TNA, and none of the samples from humans without pertussis neutralized toxin activity. These findings indicate that antibodies to ACT generated following infection with B. pertussis consistently neutralize toxin-induced cytotoxicity and that TNA can be used to improve understanding of the immunologic response to ACT after infection or vaccination.

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Systemic and local antibodies induced by an experimental inactivated vaccine against bovine herpesvirus type 1

Ciência Rural ◽

10.1590/s0103-84782011000200021 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 307-313

Author(s):

Maria do Carmo Cilento ◽

Edviges Maristela Pituco ◽

Ricardo Spacagna Jordão ◽

Cláudia Pestana Ribeiro ◽

Moacir Marchiori Filho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bovine Herpesvirus ◽

Neutralization Assay ◽

Elisa Test ◽

Antibody Responses ◽

Inactivated Vaccine ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Post Vaccination ◽

Herpesvirus Type ◽

Virus Neutralization Assay ◽

Igg2 Antibody

An experimental inactivated vaccine against bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1) was produced aiming to evaluate the systemic and local antibody responses in 12 seronegative heifers, after vaccination and revaccination. Serum samples were submitted to virus neutralization assay and to ELISA test for detection of IgG1 and IgG2 isotypes. Nasal secretion samples were submitted to the same ELISA test for detection of IgG1 and IgG2 isotypes. The results showed that moderate to high neutralizing titres and IgG1 and IgG2 antibody responses were induced after the second vaccination in the serum and in nasal secretions up to 114 days post vaccination. IgG2 antibodies were the prevalent isotype for most of the post-vaccination period. The results indicate that BoHV-1 experimental inactivated vaccine elicited potentially protective IgG1 and IgG2 antibody levels, both in the systemic and mucosal compartments.

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