Detection of Puumala virus in the tissue of infected naturally rodent hosts in the area of central Dinarides

• Puumala virus was investigated in tissues of infected naturally rodent hosts.
• Research was carried out in the area of Central Dinarides on Myodes glareolus caught in live traps.
• PUUV RNA was detected by real-time RT-PCR and nested RT-PCR methods.

Hantaviruses are the causative agents of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Euroasia and of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in the North, Central and South America. HFRS is endemic in the Balkan Peninsula, where sporadic cases or outbreaks have been reported. Puumala virus (PUUV) is the causative agent of nephropathia epidemica (NE), a mild form of HFRS. PUUV is carried by the bank voles (Myodes glareolus). In this study, we investigated viral RNA from 76 tissues samples (lung n = 30, heart n = 6, liver n = 18 and kidney n = 22) of infected naturall rodent hosts in the area of Central Dinarides caught in live traps. Puumala virus was extracted from 34,7% (16/46) rodents by nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time RT-PCR. Overall, 18 (21,4%) specimens of internal organs (kidney n = 8, liver n = 6, heart n = 2 and lung n = 2) were positive for PUUV. It was shown a high rodent infestation rate in a relatively low number of rodent and their organs, although mice were not caught during the time of high density population of host rodents.