Does anybody know if exposure to Sin Nombre Virus (the causative agent of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome here in North America) results in acquired immunity?
I know that there was a study of another hantavirus (Puumula Virus in Europe) which did show some retained immunity after exposure, but I don’t know about SNV.
Anybody know?
2 responses so far ↓
1 Anonymous // Mar 8, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Will, in artical I read (Exposure to Rodents and Rodent-Borne Viruses Among Persons With Elevated Occupational Risk.) from the (Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 44(10):962-967, October 2002.)
It suggests that, Persons who have frequent contact with rodents as part of their occupation may be at increased risk of exposure to rodent-borne viruses such as Sin Nombre virus (SNV), the agent of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and Whitewater Arroyo virus (WWA), a New World arenavirus. Eighty-one persons with possible occupational exposure to rodents completed questionnaires and provided specimens for serologic testing. Seventy-two participants reported handling rodents as part of their job. The mean total number of rodents handled during participants’ careers was approximately 2200. IgG antibody to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus was detected in serum from one (1.2%) participant. IgG antibody to SNV, WWA, and Amapari viruses was not detected in any of the serum specimens. Despite considerable exposure to rodents, participants did not have significant serological evidence of exposure to rodent-borne viruses.
((C) 2002 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc. )See http://www.joem.org/pt/re/joem/abstract.00043764-200210000-00016.htm;jsessionid=FwqDYDLTY0LcjqmlJ6J3jMWCbVXqXnrpX0fy377TbTQDjBJxpmHM!315358234!-949856145!8091!-1 )
Another neet study was done at the University of New Mexico, say’s that the mechanism(s) by which Sin Nombre (SN) hantavirus is maintained in deer mouse populations is unclear. Theye used an experimental deer mouse infection model in an outdoor laboratory, and tested whether infected rodents shed SN virus in urine, feces, and saliva, whether infected mice transmit infection to naïve cage mates, and whether infected dams are able to vertically transmit virus or antibody to offspring.
Neat stuff…I wouldnt recomend kissing the mice in the field. =)
2 Jessica // Mar 21, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Do you mean acquired immunity in mice or humans? I would assume mice given your area of study. In my work with SNV in P. maniculatus in the field, I don’t recall ever coming across mice that were found to be seropositive in a given season and seronegative in subsequent seasons, suggesting antibodies remain in the blood for the lifetime of the mouse. And I know that modeling in the system generally assumes there is no recovery/reinfection. The last time I did a literature search for a modeling paper we were putting together, I concluded that this assumption was appropriate. If you are interested, I could dig up some of those papers: pearce@biology.utah.edu.
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