In 2012, Tigray orthohantavirus was discovered in Ethiopia, but its seasonal infection in small mammals, and whether it poses a risk to humans was unknown. The occurrence of small mammals, rodents and shrews, in human inhabitations in northern Ethiopia is affected by season and presence of stone bunds. We sampled small mammals in two seasons from low- and high-density stone bund fields adjacent to houses and community-protected semi-natural habitats in Atsbi and Hagere Selam, where Tigray orthohantavirus was first discovered. We collected blood samples from both small mammals and residents using filter paper. The presence of orthohantavirus-reactive antibodies in blood was then analyzed using immunofluorescence assay (human samples) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (small mammal samples) with Puumala orthohantavirus as antigen. Viral RNA was detected by RT-PCR using small mammal blood samples. Total orthohantavirus prevalence (antibodies or virus RNA) in the small mammals was 3.37%. The positive animals were three Stenocephalemys albipes rats (prevalence in this species = 13.04%). The low prevalence made it impossible to determine whether season and stone bunds were associated with orthohantavirus prevalence in the small mammals. In humans, we report the first detection of orthohantavirus-reactive IgG antibodies in Ethiopia (seroprevalence = 5.26%). S. albipes lives in close proximity to humans, likely increasing the risk of zoonotic transmission.

• Klíčová slova
• Ethiopia, orthohantavirus, risk factors, rodents, rural community,
• MeSH
• hantavirové infekce epidemiologie   imunologie   přenos   MeSH
• Hantavirus genetika   imunologie   MeSH
• imunoglobulin G krev   MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• prevalence MeSH
• protilátky virové krev   MeSH
• průřezové studie MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• RNA virová genetika   MeSH
• venkovské obyvatelstvo MeSH
• zdroje nemoci virologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Etiopie epidemiologie   MeSH
• Názvy látek
• imunoglobulin G MeSH
• protilátky virové MeSH
• RNA virová MeSH