Dynamics of hantavirus infection in Peromyscus leucopus of central Pennsylvania

Hantaviruses are distributed throughout the United States and are the etiologic agents for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Hantavirus genotypes and epidemiologic patterns vary spatially across the United States. While several longitudinal studies have been performed in the western United States, little is known about the virus in the eastern United States. We undertook a longitudinal study of hantaviruses in the primary rodent reservoir host in central Pennsylvania, Peromyscus leucopus. Prevalence of hantavirus antibodies varied both by year and site, but was not correlated with host abundance. Males were significantly more likely to have antibodies to a hantavirus than females, and both antibody sero-conversion and antibody prevalence increased with mass class (indicator for age). Our findings suggest that one or more hantaviruses are present and circulating among P. leucopus of central Pennsylvania, and understanding the dynamics in this region could help prevent zoonotic transmission to humans. Our aim was to describe the differences in epizootiology of hantavirus infection in rodents from various geographical locations to enable improved analysis of the risk of rodent-to-human transmission and obtain insights that may indicate improved means of disease intervention.