关键词: 鼠传疾病, 汉坦病毒, 钩端螺旋体, 大别班达病毒, 恙虫病东方体

Abstract: Objective To investigate common pathogen infections in small mammals in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China, so as to provide a basis for the prevention and control of rodent-borne diseases. Methods From 2020 to 2022, small mammals were captured using the night cage-trapping method in Zhenhai District, Ninghai County, Cixi and Yuyao cities of Ningbo. The small mammals were identified by morphological method, and their livers, spleens, lungs, and kidneys samples were collected. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR) or reverse transcription-qPCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect four pathogens: Hantavirus, Dabie bandavirus (i.e., Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus), Leptospira, and Orientia tsutsugamushi. The differences in pathogen positive rates in the small mammals between different species, sexes, habitats, districts (counties, cities), and years were compared using the χ² test or Fisher’s exact test. Results A total of 668 small mammals were captured, of which Rattus norvegicus (24.70%) and Niviventer confucianus (23.65%) were dominant species. The overall positive rate of the four pathogens in the small mammals was 9.43%, of which Hantavirus (all Seoul virus) and Leptospira accounted for 2.84% and 6.89%, respectively. Coinfections with two viruses were found, with a coinfection rate of 0.30%. Neither Dabie bandavirus nor O. tsutsugamushi was detected. There were significant differences in the overall positive rate of pathogens in the small mammals between different species and between different habitats (all P<0.001), but not between different sexes, different years, and different districts (counties, cities) (all P>0.05). Among various small mammal species, the positive rate of Hantavirus was the highest in Mus musculus and in R. norvegicus (10.00% and 8.48%, respectively); the positive rate of Leptospira was the highest in R. losea (15.38%). In different habitats, the positive rate of Hantavirus in small mammals was the highest in key industries (10.84%); the positive rate of Leptospira was the highest in urban residential areas (11.76%). In different districts (counties, cities), the positive rate of Hantavirus in small mammals was the highest in Cixi (9.90%). The positive rates of Leptospira in small mammals in Yuyao and Ninghai were higher, at 10.00% and 9.12%, respectively. Conclusions Infections with pathogens such as Hantavirus and Leptospira in small mammals are found in Ningbo, which pose a potential threat to the health of the local population. Targeted prevention and control measures should be taken to reduce the risk of human infections.

Key words: Rodent-borne disease, Hantavirus, Leptospira, Dabie bandavirus, Orientia tsutsugamushi