A serologic investigation of wild small mammal suitability as reservoir hosts for Heartland virus in Georgia Open Access
Aeschleman, Leah (Spring 2023)
Abstract
Heartland virus (HRTV) is a novel tick borne phleboviruses found relatively recently in the United States in 2009. Like all tick-borne disease, environmental changes in temperature, humidity, and landscape influence the geographic distribution of the pathogen. Additionally, understanding the scope of animal reservoirs can provide insight into the epidemiology of HRTV, specifically to identify pathways for pathogen spillover into humans. In the following study, small mammals from HRTV confirmed sites in Georgia were collected and sampled for serum and presence of ticks. Serum was used to determine wild mice as a candidate as a reservoir host for HRTV. Weather conditions were retrospectively documented to further our understanding of climatic influencing catch per unit effort (CPUE). Prior to analyzing field samples, a ELISA assay to detect HRTV exposure in mice was developed and validated. None of the 11 serum samples from the 2022 field season tested positive for neutralizing antibodies against HRTV through our in-house ELISA. Average temperature and relative humidity showed no statistically significant association in mice CPUE. This study provides the foundation for larger studies of the role of rodents in HRTV transmission ecology, as it developed the methods for future serum testing and provides limited information about small mammal prevalence to HRTV. Due to its small sample size, our study will help generate future information by testing small mammals collected in future field seasons and further investigate their role in the HRTV transmission cycle.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Methods
Study sites
Small mammal collection
Tick collection and processing
HRTV Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)
Mouse adapted HRTV Enzyme Linked Immunoassay
Results
Discussion
Conclusion and Recommendations
About this Master's Thesis
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A serologic investigation of wild small mammal suitability as reservoir hosts for Heartland virus in Georgia () | 2023-04-27 00:05:09 -0400 |
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