Ljungan virus (LV), which belongs to the Parechovirus genus in the Picornaviridae family, was first isolated from bank voles (Myodes glareolus) in Sweden in 1998 and proposed as a zoonotic agent. To improve knowledge of the host association and geographical distribution of LV, tissues from 1685 animals belonging to multiple rodent and insectivore species from 12 European countries were screened for LV-RNA using reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR. In addition, we investigated how the prevalence of LV-RNA in bank voles is associated with various intrinsic and extrinsic factors. We show that LV is widespread geographically, having been detected in at least one host species in nine European countries. Twelve out of 21 species screened were LV-RNA PCR positive, including, for the first time, the red vole (Myodes rutilus) and the root or tundra vole (Alexandromys formerly Microtus oeconomus), as well as in insectivores, including the bicolored white-toothed shrew (Crocidura leucodon) and the Valais shrew (Sorex antinorii). Results indicated that bank voles are the main rodent host for this virus (overall RT-PCR prevalence: 15.2%). Linear modeling of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that could impact LV prevalence showed a concave-down relationship between body mass and LV occurrence, so that subadults had the highest LV positivity, but LV in older animals was less prevalent. Also, LV prevalence was higher in autumn and lower in spring, and the amount of precipitation recorded during the 6 months preceding the trapping date was negatively correlated with the presence of the virus. Phylogenetic analysis on the 185 base pair species-specific sequence of the 5' untranslated region identified high genetic diversity (46.5%) between 80 haplotypes, although no geographical or host-specific patterns of diversity were detected.

• MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• hlodavci MeSH
• hmyzožravci MeSH
• Parechovirus klasifikace   genetika   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• pikornavirové infekce epidemiologie   veterinární   MeSH
• polymerázová řetězová reakce s reverzní transkripcí MeSH
• roční období MeSH
• tělesná hmotnost MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa MeSH

The objective of this study was to investigate a possible association between human parechovirus infections in early infancy, diagnosed in fecal samples, and the development of islet autoimmunity. In the 'Environmental Triggers of Type 1 Diabetes: The MIDIA study', newborns with the highest genetic risk for type 1 diabetes were identified and followed with regular fecal sampling and questionnaires. A nested case-control study, including 27 children who developed islet autoimmunity (repeatedly positive for two or three autoantibodies) and 53 children matched for age and community of residence was used. Monthly stool samples from these children were analyzed for human parechovirus using a semi-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of human parechovirus in stool samples when cases and controls were compared: 13.0 and 11.1%, respectively. There was also not any difference as to the number of infection episodes. In analyses restricted to samples collected 3, 6 or 12 months prior to seroconversion for islet autoantibodies, there was a suggestive association in the shortest time window of 3 months (20.8 vs. 8.8%, odds ratio = 3.2, 95% CI 1.2 - 8.5, uncorrected p = 0.022). No symptoms were associated with human parechovirus infection. A subset of the positive samples (n = 31) were sequenced, suggesting that human parechovirus 1 was the dominant genotype. The present study does not support strong associations between human parechovirus infections and the signs of islet autoimmunity. The weak association of parechovirus present in the last 3 months before development of autoimmunity warrants further investigation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

• MeSH
• autoimunita * imunologie   MeSH
• autoprotilátky * analýza   MeSH
• feces virologie   MeSH
• glutamát dekarboxyláza imunologie   MeSH
• kojenec MeSH
• Langerhansovy ostrůvky * imunologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• longitudinální studie MeSH
• nemoci novorozenců * imunologie   MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• Parechovirus genetika   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• pikornavirové infekce * imunologie   MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• studie případů a kontrol MeSH
• Check Tag
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH