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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
Influenza A Virus Studies in a Mouse Model of Infection
Published on: September 7, 2017
Development of an ELISA to detect Sin Nombre virus-specific IgM from deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus)
Mariana G Bego1, Darcy Bawiec1, Deepa Dandge1
1University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, 1664 N Virginia St. MS 200, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
Abstract:
Peromyscus maniculatus (deer mouse) is the primary reservoir for Sin Nombre virus (SNV). Although the presence of IgG antibodies is often used as a marker of infection, it provides little information on active infections in a population but usually is an indicator of past infections. The presence of IgM antibodies is a much better marker for determining whether active infections are present in a population. A mu-capture SNV-specific IgM enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed. From live-trap and release studies a total of 68 rodent sera were studied for the presence of Sin Nombre virus-specific IgG and IgM antibodies. In these studies, IgM responses were detected in a number of animals. In some cases early SNV infection was determined through the presence of anti-SNV IgM before IgG antibodies could be detected. From the set of animals analyzed, it was concluded that the IgM response against SNV can persist anywhere from 1 to up to over 2 months, with a median of less than 1 month. Most importantly, it was demonstrated that anti-Sin Nombre virus IgM is an important tool for detection of early infections in rodents and should be considered as a key diagnostic tool.
Insights
Deer mice are reservoirs for Sin Nombre virus (SNV). A new IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detects early SNV infections in rodents, offering a key diagnostic tool for active disease surveillance.
Area of Science:
- * Virology
- * Immunology
- * Ecology
Background:
- * Peromyscus maniculatus (deer mouse) serves as the primary reservoir for Sin Nombre virus (SNV).
- * Antibody detection is crucial for understanding viral circulation in wildlife populations.
- * Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies indicate past infections, while Immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies suggest active or recent infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To develop and validate a sensitive assay for detecting SNV-specific IgM antibodies.
- * To assess the utility of IgM detection for identifying early-stage SNV infections in deer mice.
- * To determine the persistence duration of SNV-specific IgM responses.
Main Methods:
- * Development of a mu-capture SNV-specific IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
- * Analysis of 68 rodent sera collected from live-trap and release studies.
- * Simultaneous testing for both SNV-specific IgG and IgM antibodies.
Main Results:
- * The developed IgM ELISA successfully detected SNV-specific IgM responses in a subset of the analyzed rodent sera.
- * In several cases, IgM antibodies were detected earlier than IgG antibodies, indicating early-stage infection.
- * SNV-specific IgM responses persisted for 1 to over 2 months, with a median duration under 1 month.
Conclusions:
- * Anti-SNV IgM is a valuable biomarker for detecting early Sin Nombre virus infections in rodent populations.
- * The developed IgM ELISA is a critical diagnostic tool for active disease surveillance in wildlife reservoirs.
- * Understanding IgM antibody dynamics aids in accurately assessing current viral transmission patterns.
