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Validation of the Puumala virus rapid field test for bank voles in Germany
D Reil1, C Imholt1, U M Rosenfeld2
1Julius Kühn-Institute,Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants,Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests,Vertebrate Research,Münster,Germany.
Abstract:
Puumala virus (PUUV) causes many human infections in large parts of Europe and can lead to mild to moderate disease. The bank vole (Myodes glareolus) is the only reservoir of PUUV in Central Europe. A commercial PUUV rapid field test for rodents was validated for bank-vole blood samples collected in two PUUV-endemic regions in Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg). A comparison of the results of the rapid field test and standard ELISAs indicated a test efficacy of 93-95%, largely independent of the origin of the antigens used in the ELISA. In ELISAs, reactivity for the German PUUV strain was higher compared to the Swedish strain but not compared to the Finnish strain, which was used for the rapid field test. In conclusion, the use of the rapid field test can facilitate short-term estimation of PUUV seroprevalence in bank-vole populations in Germany and can aid in assessing human PUUV infection risk.
Insights
A new rapid field test for Puumala virus (PUUV) in bank voles shows 93-95% efficacy in Germany. This test aids in estimating PUUV seroprevalence and assessing human infection risk from this rodent-borne disease.
Area of Science:
- * Infectious Diseases
- * Veterinary Science
- * Epidemiology
Background:
- * Puumala virus (PUUV) is a significant cause of human hantavirus infections in Europe.
- * Bank voles (Myodes glareolus) are the primary reservoir for PUUV in Central Europe.
- * Accurate monitoring of PUUV in reservoir populations is crucial for assessing public health risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To validate a commercial rapid field test for detecting PUUV antibodies in bank vole blood.
- * To assess the efficacy of the rapid field test compared to standard ELISA methods.
- * To evaluate the test's utility for estimating PUUV seroprevalence in German bank vole populations.
Main Methods:
- * Validation of a commercial PUUV rapid field test using bank vole blood samples.
- * Collection of samples from two PUUV-endemic regions in Germany: North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg.
- * Comparison of rapid field test results with results from standard Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISAs).
Main Results:
- * The PUUV rapid field test demonstrated a high efficacy of 93-95% when compared to ELISAs.
- * Test performance was largely consistent regardless of the ELISA antigen source.
- * Reactivity varied between different PUUV strains in ELISAs, with the German strain showing higher reactivity than the Swedish strain.
Conclusions:
- * The validated rapid field test is a reliable tool for rapid, short-term estimation of PUUV seroprevalence in bank vole populations.
- * This tool can contribute to better assessment of human exposure risk to PUUV in endemic areas.
- * The findings support the use of rapid diagnostics for wildlife disease surveillance.
