17th Annual Student Research Conference
Science
Determination of Hantavirus Distribution Within Small Mammal
Communities of Northeast Missouri, A Human Risk Assessment.
Shawna A. Cooper
Dr. Scott Burt, Faculty Mentor
Sin Nombre, Bloodland Lake, and Blue River are three strains of Hantavirus responsible for human Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) that are associated with common Missouri rodents. HPS, which is 38% fatal, results from rodent bites or exposure to aerosolized urine/feces and has been documented in all of Missouri’s border-states except Arkansas (www.cdc.gov). To address a lack of knowledge regarding rodent seroprevalence, five locales, representing 6 habitat types, were sampled within Adair, Chariton, and Schuyler counties. During summer 2003, 3870 total trap-nights resulted in 137 rodent captures. Organ and blood samples were harvested and ELISA analysis was used to detect seropositive animals. The white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) accounted for 77% of total captures with approximately 10% of P. leucopus captures seropositive for Blue River Hantavirus. Thus, 8% of total rodent captures were seropositive. 81% of seropositive rodents occurred in oak-hickory forest with the rest in peridomestic and disturbed grassland habitats, respectively.
Keywords: Hantavirus , Blue River , Peromyscus, ELISA, Seroprevalence, Habitat, HPS, Northeast Missouri
Topic(s):Biology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 10-4
Location: VH 1432
Time: 9:15