The Epidemiological Investigation of,, and Arenavirus Infections in Small Mammals in Northwestern Iran.

Abstract

The control and prevention of rodent-borne diseases are mainly based on our knowledge of ecology and the infectious status of their reservoir hosts. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of,, and arenavirus infections in small mammals and to assess the potential of disease occurrence in East Azerbaijan, northwest of Iran, in 2017 and 2018.Spleen and lung samples were obtained from all trapped small mammals. The real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) method was used to detect nucleic acid sequences of,, and arenaviruses. Serum samples were tested for antibodies indicating the host response toand Yinfections using the standard tube agglutination test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively.A total of 205 rodents, four Eulipotyphla, and one carnivore were captured. The most common rodent species captured (123 of 205 rodents, 60%) belonged to the genus(mainly Persian jird,). In total, 317 fleas were removed from trapped animals. Flea species belonged to,,,,, and. Using the qPCR tests, five spleen samples fromwere positive for. The qPCR tests were negative for the detection ofand arenaviruses. Finally, all serum samples tested were negative for antibodies againstand.was the only zoonotic agent detected in rodents captured in East Azerbaijan. However, the diversity of trapped rodents and fleas provides the potential for the spread of various rodent-borne viral and bacterial diseases in the studied areas.