Salzer Johanna S, Carroll Darin S, Rwego Innocent B, Li Yu, Falendysz Elizabeth A, Shisler Joanna L, Karem Kevin L, Damon Inger K, Gillespie Thomas R
Program in Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
J Wildl Dis. 2013 Jan;49(1):125-31. doi: 10.7589/2012-04-100.
The prevalence of orthopoxviruses (OPXV) among wildlife, including monkeypox virus (MPXV), remains largely unknown. Outbreaks of human monkeypox in central Africa have been associated with hunting, butchering, and consuming infected forest animals, primarily rodents and primates. Monkeypox cases have not been reported in east Africa, where human contact with wildlife is more limited. Whether this lack of human disease is due to the absence of MPXV in rodents is unknown. However, testing of wildlife beyond the known geographic distribution of human cases of monkeypox has rarely been conducted, limiting our knowledge of the natural distribution of MPXV and other OPXV. To improve our understanding of the natural distribution of OPXV in Africa and related risks to public health, we conducted a serosurvey of peridomestic rodents (Rattus rattus) in and around traditional dwellings in Kabarole District, Uganda, from May 2008 to July 2008. We tested for OPXV antibody in areas free of human monkeypox. Sera from 41% of the R. rattus individuals sampled reacted to OPXV-specific proteins from multiple, purified OPXV samples, but did not react by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The specific OPXV could not be identified because poxvirus DNA was undetectable in corresponding tissues. We conclude that an OPXV or a similar poxvirus is circulating among wild rodents in Uganda. With the known geographic range of OPXV in rodents now increased, factors that dictate OPXV prevalence and disease will be identified.
包括猴痘病毒（MPXV）在内的正痘病毒在野生动物中的流行情况仍 largely unknown。中非地区的人类猴痘疫情与捕猎、屠宰和食用受感染的森林动物有关，主要是啮齿动物和灵长类动物。东非地区尚未报告猴痘病例，该地区人类与野生动物的接触较为有限。尚不清楚人类疾病的缺失是否是由于啮齿动物中不存在MPXV。然而，很少对猴痘人类病例已知地理分布范围之外的野生动物进行检测，这限制了我们对MPXV和其他正痘病毒自然分布的了解。为了更好地了解正痘病毒在非洲的自然分布以及对公共卫生的相关风险，我们于2008年5月至2008年7月在乌干达卡巴罗勒区传统住宅及其周边地区对家栖啮齿动物（黑家鼠）进行了血清学调查。我们在无人类猴痘的地区检测了正痘病毒抗体。所采集的41%的黑家鼠个体的血清与多个纯化的正痘病毒样本中的正痘病毒特异性蛋白发生反应，但通过酶联免疫吸附测定未发生反应。由于在相应组织中未检测到痘病毒DNA，因此无法鉴定具体的正痘病毒。我们得出结论，一种正痘病毒或类似的痘病毒正在乌干达的野生啮齿动物中传播。随着现在已知正痘病毒在啮齿动物中的地理范围扩大，将确定决定正痘病毒流行率和疾病的因素。
