| Presence of hantavirus seropositive rodents in Missouri forests warrants better understanding of forest management effects on small mammal ecology, their associated diseases, and human disease potential. Forest management is known to increase numbers of Peromyscus leucopus and prevalence of subadult aggressive mice. Hantavirus seroprevalence was predicted to increase in highly disturbed forests. Duplicate clearcut, timberstand-improvement, and "old growth" sites were sampled at Sugar Creek Conservation Area in Northeast Missouri. One-hundred ninety three P. leucopus were captured among 6 sites, sacrificed, and blood was collected for ELISA analyses. Only one seropositive P. leucopus was captured in "Old Growth" site 2. Though reasons for low 2004 hantavirus seroprevalence remain unknown, over this two year study 15 seropositive rodents have been detected, with 12 from oak-hickory forest. Hantaviral mRNA sequenced from two 2003 P. leucopus specimens determined identity as Blue River, a non-pathogenic species. |
