Hantavirus epidemiology in red bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus)

Abstract

Hantavirus disease is an anthropozoonosis caused by a hemorrhagic fever virus. In Western Europe, the etiologic agent is Puumala virus whose main vector is the red bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus). Hantaviral outbreaks are chiefly observed in woodlands and during years with dense local population of bank voles, increasing the risk of direct or indirect contact with men. In these rodents, infection is not associated with clinical signs. Infectious viruses present in saliva, urine and feces are transmitted by aerosol or bites. The percentage of infected bank voles and the occurrence of disease in men are closely related to the rodent population size. Hantavirus disease mainly occurs in autumn and spring: this seasonality is partly due to changes in the size and structure of bank voles communities. Human activities are also implied in hantavirus disease appearance. Each serotype has its specific main rodent reservoir. However other species may secondarily carry the virus. In domestic animals, cats and swines are the only recognized positive species for hantavirus in Western Europe