Alexeyev O A, Ahlm C, Elgh F, Aava B, Palo T, Settergren B, Tärnvik A, Wadell G, Juto P
Department of Virology, Umeå University, Sweden.
Epidemiol Infect. 1998 Oct;121(2):419-25. doi: 10.1017/s0950268898001307.
Bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) serve as the reservoir for Puumala (PUU) virus, the aetiologic agent of nephropathia epidemica. The animals are believed to be persistently infected and the occurrence of serum antibodies is usually taken as an evidence of active infection. We found serum antibodies to PUU virus in 42 of 299 wild bank voles captured in a PUU virus endemic area. PUU virus RNA was demonstrated in lung specimens of 11 of these 42 animals and in 2 of them antigen was also found. Thus in the lungs of 31 of 42 seropositive animals neither PUU virus RNA nor antigen was detected. In 2 of 257 seronegative animals, lung specimens showed presence of PUU virus antigen and RNA. Isolation of PUU virus from lung tissue was successful in all 4 antigen-positive bank voles but in none of 16 tested antigen-negative animals. In conclusion, only a minority of bank voles with serum antibodies to PUU virus showed evidence of current infection.
小林姬鼠（Clethrionomys glareolus）是流行性肾病病原体普马拉（PUU）病毒的储存宿主。人们认为这些动物会持续感染，血清抗体的出现通常被视为活跃感染的证据。在一个PUU病毒流行地区捕获的299只野生小林姬鼠中，我们发现42只存在针对PUU病毒的血清抗体。在这42只动物中的11只的肺标本中检测到了PUU病毒RNA，其中2只还发现了抗原。因此，在42只血清阳性动物的31只的肺中，既未检测到PUU病毒RNA也未检测到抗原。在257只血清阴性动物中的2只，肺标本显示存在PUU病毒抗原和RNA。从所有4只抗原阳性的小林姬鼠的肺组织中成功分离出PUU病毒，但在16只检测的抗原阴性动物中均未成功分离。总之，只有少数对PUU病毒有血清抗体的小林姬鼠显示出当前感染的证据。
