Author/Editor		Tadin, Ante; Turk, Nenad; Korva, Miša; Margaletić, Josip; Beck, R; Vucelja, Melja; Habuš, Josipa; Svoboda, Petra; Avšič-Županc, Tatjana; Henttonen, Heikki; Markotić, Alemka
Title		Multiple co-infections of rodents with hantaviruses, Leptospira, and babesia in Croatia
Type		članek
Source		Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis
Vol. and No.		Letnik 12, št. 5
Publication year		2012
Volume		str. 388-92
Language		eng
Abstract		Hantaviruses, Leptospira spp., and Babesia spp. are rodent-borne pathogens present worldwide. We studied multiple co-infections of small rodents in Croatia with all three pathogens. Twenty-eight Apodemus flavicollis and 16 Myodes glareolus were tested for the presence of hantavirus RNA by real-time RT-PCR, Leptospira strains by renoculture method and Babesia DNA by PCR. Anti-hantavirus antibodies and anti-Leptospira antibodies were detected by serological methods. Very high infection rates with each pathogen were found in A. flavicollis: 20 of 28 rodents (71%) were infected with Dobrava virus, 13 rodents (46%) were infected with Leptospira, and 5 rodents (18%) were infected with Babesia. Multiple co-infections with all three pathogens were found in 3 of 28 (11%) A. flavicollis animals, suggesting that the same rodent host can be infected with several pathogens at the same time. Dual infections with both hantaviruses and Leptospira were found in 7 of 44 rodents (16%), with hantaviruses and Babesia in 2 rodents (5%), and double infection with both Leptospira and Babesia were found in 1 rodent (2%). Since hantaviruses, Leptospira, and Babesia have similar geographical distributions, it is to be expected that in other parts of the world multiple co-infections, representing a serious threat to public health, can be found.
Descriptors		HANTAVIRUS LEPTOSPIRA BABESIA MURIDAE COMORBIDITY POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION ANTIBODIES, VIRAL ANTIBODIES, BACTERIAL CROATIA