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Related Experiment Videos

Cowpox: reservoir hosts and geographic range.

J Chantrey1, H Meyer, D Baxby

  • 1Centre for Comparative Infectious Diseases, University of Liverpool.

Epidemiology and Infection
|August 25, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Cowpox virus reservoir hosts in Great Britain are bank voles, wood mice, and short-tailed field voles. Seasonal variations in rodent infections likely influence disease outbreaks in humans and cats.

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Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Virology
  • Wildlife Epidemiology
  • Zoonotic Diseases

Background:

  • Reservoir hosts for cowpox virus are widely believed to be wild rodents, but definitive evidence is scarce across its geographic distribution.
  • Understanding the primary animal reservoirs is crucial for predicting and controlling cowpox virus transmission.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To definitively identify the main wildlife reservoir hosts of cowpox virus in Great Britain.
  • To investigate the ecological factors influencing cowpox virus circulation and transmission patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a combination of serological assays and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) techniques.
  • Conducted field studies to collect samples from wild rodent populations in Great Britain.

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Main Results:

  • Conclusively identified bank voles, wood mice, and short-tailed field voles as the primary reservoir hosts in Great Britain.
  • Evidence suggests wood mice may require other rodent species for sustained cowpox virus maintenance.
  • Observed seasonal fluctuations in wild rodent infections, correlating with human and domestic cat cases.

Conclusions:

  • Bank voles, wood mice, and short-tailed field voles are confirmed as key cowpox virus reservoirs in Great Britain.
  • The absence of voles in Ireland may explain the lack of cowpox virus presence there.
  • Seasonal dynamics of infection in rodent hosts are critical for understanding cowpox virus epidemiology in accidental hosts.