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.

• Keywords
• Ethiopia, orthohantavirus, risk factors, rodents, rural community,
• MeSH
• Hantavirus Infections epidemiology   immunology   transmission   MeSH
• Orthohantavirus genetics   immunology   MeSH
• Immunoglobulin G blood   MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Prevalence MeSH
• Antibodies, Viral blood   MeSH
• Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• RNA, Viral genetics   MeSH
• Rural Population MeSH
• Disease Reservoirs virology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Ethiopia epidemiology   MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Immunoglobulin G MeSH
• Antibodies, Viral MeSH
• RNA, Viral MeSH

Orthohantaviruses are RNA viruses that some members are known to cause severe zoonotic diseases in humans. Orthohantaviruses are hosted by rodents, soricomorphs (shrews and moles), and bats. Only two orthohantaviruses associated with murid rodents are known in Africa, Sangassou orthohantavirus (SANGV) in two species of African wood mice (Hylomyscus), and Tigray orthohantavirus (TIGV) in the Ethiopian white-footed rat (Stenocephalemys albipes). In this article, we report evidence that, like SANGV, two strains of TIGV occur in two genetically related rodent species, S. albipes and S. sp. A, occupying different elevational zones in the same mountain. Investigating the other members of the genus Stenocephalemys for TIGV could reveal the real diversity of TIGV in the genus.

• Keywords
• Afroalpine, Simien Mountains, Stenocephalemys, orthohantavirus, phylogeny,
• MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Hantavirus Infections epidemiology   veterinary   virology   MeSH
• Orthohantavirus genetics   MeSH
• Rodentia MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Rodent Diseases epidemiology   virology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Ethiopia epidemiology   MeSH