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Meheretu Y, Granberg Å, Berhane G, Khalil H, Lwande OW, Mitiku M, Welegerima K, de Bellocq JG, Bryja J, Abreha H, Leirs H, Ecke F, Evander M. Prevalence of Orthohantavirus-Reactive Antibodies in Humans and Peri-Domestic Rodents in Northern Ethiopia. Viruses 2021; 13:1054. [PMID: 34199600 PMCID: PMC8226976 DOI: 10.3390/v13061054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2012, Tigray orthohantavirus was discovered in Ethiopia, but its seasonal infection in small mammals, and whether it poses a risk to humans was unknown. The occurrence of small mammals, rodents and shrews, in human inhabitations in northern Ethiopia is affected by season and presence of stone bunds. We sampled small mammals in two seasons from low- and high-density stone bund fields adjacent to houses and community-protected semi-natural habitats in Atsbi and Hagere Selam, where Tigray orthohantavirus was first discovered. We collected blood samples from both small mammals and residents using filter paper. The presence of orthohantavirus-reactive antibodies in blood was then analyzed using immunofluorescence assay (human samples) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (small mammal samples) with Puumala orthohantavirus as antigen. Viral RNA was detected by RT-PCR using small mammal blood samples. Total orthohantavirus prevalence (antibodies or virus RNA) in the small mammals was 3.37%. The positive animals were three Stenocephalemys albipes rats (prevalence in this species = 13.04%). The low prevalence made it impossible to determine whether season and stone bunds were associated with orthohantavirus prevalence in the small mammals. In humans, we report the first detection of orthohantavirus-reactive IgG antibodies in Ethiopia (seroprevalence = 5.26%). S. albipes lives in close proximity to humans, likely increasing the risk of zoonotic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonas Meheretu
- Department of Biology, Mekelle University, Mekelle P.O. Box 3102, Ethiopia; (G.B.); (K.W.)
- Institute of Mountain Research & Development, Mekelle University, Mekelle P.O. Box 231, Ethiopia
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; (J.G.d.B.); (J.B.)
| | - Åsa Granberg
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, 901 85 Umeå, Sweden;
| | - Gebregiorgis Berhane
- Department of Biology, Mekelle University, Mekelle P.O. Box 3102, Ethiopia; (G.B.); (K.W.)
| | - Hussein Khalil
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden; (H.K.); (F.E.)
| | - Olivia Wesula Lwande
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Virology, Umeå University, 901 85 Umeå, Sweden; (O.W.L.); (M.E.)
| | - Mengistu Mitiku
- College Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle P.O. Box 231, Ethiopia; (M.M.); (H.A.)
| | - Kiros Welegerima
- Department of Biology, Mekelle University, Mekelle P.O. Box 3102, Ethiopia; (G.B.); (K.W.)
| | - Joëlle Goüy de Bellocq
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; (J.G.d.B.); (J.B.)
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 21 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Bryja
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; (J.G.d.B.); (J.B.)
| | - Hagos Abreha
- College Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle P.O. Box 231, Ethiopia; (M.M.); (H.A.)
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium;
| | - Frauke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden; (H.K.); (F.E.)
| | - Magnus Evander
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Virology, Umeå University, 901 85 Umeå, Sweden; (O.W.L.); (M.E.)
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