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Small wild rodents rabies in Czechoslovakia.
Journal of Hygiene, Epidemiology, Microbiology, and Immunology
|January 1, 1982
Summary
Small wild rodents, primarily Microtus arvalis, were studied for rabies virus (RV) over a decade. Researchers found these rodents play an enzootic role in rabies epidemiology, with strains showing extraneural pathogenicity.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Virology
- Wildlife Epidemiology
- Zoonotic Diseases
Background:
- Rabies virus (RV) poses a significant threat to wildlife and public health.
- Understanding the role of small wild rodents in rabies epidemiology is crucial for control strategies.
- Previous studies have indicated potential reservoirs in rodent populations, but further investigation is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and biological characteristics of rabies virus in small wild rodents.
- To assess the role of these rodents in the epizootology and epidemiology of rabies.
- To determine the relationship between rodent populations and fox-rabies incidence.
Main Methods:
- Examination of 3174 small wild rodents (Muridae and Microtinae) from diverse ecological and epizootological localities.
- Isolation and characterization of rabies virus strains from various tissues (brain, brown fat, salivary glands).
- Assessment of viral adaptation, intracerebral virulence, and extraneural pathogenicity in laboratory animals, dogs, and foxes.
Main Results:
- 71 rabies virus strains were isolated, with varied positivity across different tissues; deep-frozen material yielded fewer successful isolations.
- Isolated strains exhibited differences in adaptation and virulence, and all showed extraneural pathogenicity, viscerotropism, interferon induction, and non-lethal infection potential.
- Incidence of "murine" rabies was enzootic and showed no locality-specific differences; a correlation was observed between fox-rabies and small game animal density.
Conclusions:
- Small wild rodents, particularly Microtus arvalis, are reservoirs for rabies virus and play an enzootic role in its epidemiology.
- The identified rabies virus strains possess extraneural pathogenic potential, highlighting a broader risk beyond direct bites.
- Rodent population density may influence the incidence of fox-rabies, suggesting a complex epizootiological dynamic that warrants further research.