Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-hgkh8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T13:11:05.183Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Bartonella infection in sylvatic small mammals of central Sweden

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2003

M. HOLMBERG
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Sciences, Section for Infectious Diseases, Uppsala University Hospital, S-751 85 Uppsala Sweden
J. N. MILLS
Affiliation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop G14, Atlanta, GA 30333
S. MCGILL
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Sciences, Section for Infectious Diseases, Uppsala University Hospital, S-751 85 Uppsala Sweden
G. BENJAMIN
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Sciences, Section for Infectious Diseases, Uppsala University Hospital, S-751 85 Uppsala Sweden
B. A. ELLIS
Affiliation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop G14, Atlanta, GA 30333
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Sylvatic small mammals were captured in rural habitats near Uppsala, Sweden, to measure the prevalence of bartonella infections, characterize bacterial isolates and identify their host range, and increase our understanding of host–pathogen ecology. During 7 nights of trapping at 3 localities, 236 small mammals were captured (trap success 30%). Bartonella were isolated from bloods of Apodemus flavicollis (19 of 110 tested), Apodemus sylvaticus (6/25), Clethrionomys glareolus (9/60), Microtus agrestis (1/3), Mus musculus (1/18), and Sorex araneus (3/20). Nucleotide sequencing (a 338 bp fragment of the gltA gene) of 40 isolates yielded 6 unique genotypes. Five of the 6 genotypes were most similar to other known bartonella isolated from Old World small-mammal hosts. The most frequent genotype (83%) was isolated from A. flavicollis and M. musculus and was identical to Bartonella grahamii, a recently demonstrated human pathogen. These two hosts were most frequently captured in and around human structures and work places, thus providing conditions that could potentially lead to frequent human infections.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2003 Cambridge University Press