@article{RyllEidenHeuseretal.2018,
  author    = {Ryll, Rene and Eiden, Martin and Heuser, Elisa and Weinhardt, Markus and Ziege, Madlen and Hoeper, Dirk and Groschup, Martin H. and Heckel, Gerald and Johne, Reimar and Ulrich, Rainer G.},
  title     = {Hepatitis E virus in feral rabbits along a rural-urban transect in Central Germany},
  series = {Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics and infectious diseases (MEEGID)},
  volume    = {61},
  journal   = {Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics and infectious diseases (MEEGID)},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Amsterdam},
  issn      = {1567-1348},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.meegid.2018.03.019},
  pages     = {155 -- 159},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Rabbit associated genotype 3 hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains were detected in feral, pet and farm rabbits in different parts of the world since 2009 and recently also in human patients. Here, we report a serological and molecular survey on 72 feral rabbits, collected along a rural-urban transect in and next to Frankfurt am Main, Central Germany. ELISA investigations revealed in 25 of 72 (34.7\%) animals HEV-specific antibodies. HEV derived RNA was detected in 18 of 72 (25\%) animals by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay. The complete genomes from two rabbitHEV-strains, one from a rural site and the other from an inner-city area, were generated by a combination of high-throughput sequencing, a primer walking approach and 5′- and 3′- rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Phylogenetic analysis of open reading frame (ORF)1-derived partial and complete ORF1/ORF2 concatenated coding sequences indicated their similarity to rabbit-associated HEV strains. The partial sequences revealed one cluster of closely-related rabbitHEV sequences from the urban trapping sites that is well separated from several clusters representing rabbitHEV sequences from rural trapping sites. The complete genome sequences of the two novel strains indicated similarities of 75.6-86.4\% to the other 17 rabbitHEV sequences; the amino acid sequence identity of the concatenated ORF1/ORF2-encoded proteins reached 89.0-93.1\%. The detection of rabbitHEV in an inner-city area with a high human population density suggests a high risk of potential human infection with the zoonotic rabbitHEV, either by direct or indirect contact with infected animals. Therefore, future investigations on the occurrence and frequency of human infections with rabbitHEV are warranted in populations with different contact to rabbits.},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{ReilRosenfeldImholtetal.2017,
  author    = {Reil, Daniela and Rosenfeld, Ulrike M. and Imholt, Christian and Schmidt, Sabrina and Ulrich, Rainer G. and Eccard, Jana and Jacob, Jens},
  title     = {Puumala hantavirus infections in bank vole populations},
  series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  journal   = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  number    = {957},
  issn      = {1866-8372},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-43123},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-431232},
  pages     = {15},
  year      = {2017},
  abstract  = {Background In Europe, bank voles (Myodes glareolus) are widely distributed and can transmit Puumala virus (PUUV) to humans, which causes a mild to moderate form of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, called nephropathia epidemica. Uncovering the link between host and virus dynamics can help to prevent human PUUV infections in the future. Bank voles were live trapped three times a year in 2010-2013 in three woodland plots in each of four regions in Germany. Bank vole population density was estimated and blood samples collected to detect PUUV specific antibodies. Results We demonstrated that fluctuation of PUUV seroprevalence is dependent not only on multi-annual but also on seasonal dynamics of rodent host abundance. Moreover, PUUV infection might affect host fitness, because seropositive individuals survived better from spring to summer than uninfected bank voles. Individual space use was independent of PUUV infections. Conclusions Our study provides robust estimations of relevant patterns and processes of the dynamics of PUUV and its rodent host in Central Europe, which are highly important for the future development of predictive models for human hantavirus infection risk.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{ReilRosenfeldImholtetal.2017,
  author    = {Reil, Daniela and Rosenfeld, Ulrike M. and Imholt, Christian and Schmidt, Sabrina and Ulrich, Rainer G. and Eccard, Jana and Jacob, Jens},
  title     = {Puumala hantavirus infections in bank vole populations},
  series = {BMC ecology},
  volume    = {17},
  journal   = {BMC ecology},
  publisher = {BioMed Central},
  address   = {London},
  issn      = {1472-6785},
  doi       = {10.1186/s12898-017-0118-z},
  pages     = {13},
  year      = {2017},
  abstract  = {Background In Europe, bank voles (Myodes glareolus) are widely distributed and can transmit Puumala virus (PUUV) to humans, which causes a mild to moderate form of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, called nephropathia epidemica. Uncovering the link between host and virus dynamics can help to prevent human PUUV infections in the future. Bank voles were live trapped three times a year in 2010-2013 in three woodland plots in each of four regions in Germany. Bank vole population density was estimated and blood samples collected to detect PUUV specific antibodies. Results We demonstrated that fluctuation of PUUV seroprevalence is dependent not only on multi-annual but also on seasonal dynamics of rodent host abundance. Moreover, PUUV infection might affect host fitness, because seropositive individuals survived better from spring to summer than uninfected bank voles. Individual space use was independent of PUUV infections. Conclusions Our study provides robust estimations of relevant patterns and processes of the dynamics of PUUV and its rodent host in Central Europe, which are highly important for the future development of predictive models for human hantavirus infection risk},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MrochenSchulzFischeretal.2018,
  author    = {Mrochen, Daniel M. and Schulz, Daniel and Fischer, Stefan and Jeske, Kathrin and El Gohary, Heba and Reil, Daniela and Imholt, Christian and Truebe, Patricia and Suchomel, Josef and Tricaud, Emilie and Jacob, Jens and Heroldova, Marta and Br{\"o}ker, Barbara M. and Strommenger, Birgit and Walther, Birgit and Ulrich, Rainer G. and Holtfreter, Silva},
  title     = {Wild rodents and shrews are natural hosts of Staphylococcus aureus},
  series = {International Journal of Medical Microbiology},
  volume    = {308},
  journal   = {International Journal of Medical Microbiology},
  number    = {6},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Jena},
  issn      = {1438-4221},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.ijmm.2017.09.014},
  pages     = {590 -- 597},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Laboratory mice are the most commonly used animal model for Staphylococcus aureus infection studies. We have previously shown that laboratory mice from global vendors are frequently colonized with S. aureus. Laboratory mice originate from wild house mice. Hence, we investigated whether wild rodents, including house mice, as well as shrews are naturally colonized with S. aureus and whether S. aureus adapts to the wild animal host. 295 animals of ten different species were caught in different locations over four years (2012-2015) in Germany, France and the Czech Republic. 45 animals were positive for S. aureus (15.3\%). Three animals were co-colonized with two different isolates, resulting in 48 S. aureus isolates in total. Positive animals were found in Germany and the Czech Republic in each studied year. The S. aureus isolates belonged to ten different spa types, which grouped into six lineages (clonal complex (CC) 49, CC88, CC130, CC1956, sequence type (ST) 890, ST3033). CC49 isolates were most abundant (17/48, 35.4\%), followed by CC1956 (14/48, 29.2\%) and ST890 (9/48, 18.8\%). The wild animal isolates lacked certain properties that are common among human isolates, e.g., a phage-encoded immune evasion cluster, superantigen genes on mobile genetic elements and antibiotic resistance genes, which suggests long-term adaptation to the wild animal host. One CC130 isolate contained the mecC gene, implying wild rodents might be both reservoir and vector for methicillin-resistant. In conclusion, we demonstrated that wild rodents and shrews are naturally colonized with S. aureus, and that those S. aureus isolates show signs of host adaptation.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{FischerSpierlingHeuseretal.2018,
  author    = {Fischer, Stefan and Spierling, Nastasja G. and Heuser, Elisa and Kling, Christopher and Schmidt, Sabrina and Rosenfeld, Ulrike M. and Reil, Daniela and Imholt, Christian and Jacob, Jens and Ulrich, Rainer G. and Essbauer, Sandra},
  title     = {High prevalence of Rickettsia helvetica in wild small mammal populations in Germany},
  series = {Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases},
  volume    = {9},
  journal   = {Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases},
  number    = {3},
  publisher = {Elsevier GMBH},
  address   = {M{\"u}nchen},
  issn      = {1877-959X},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.01.009},
  pages     = {500 -- 505},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Since the beginning of the 21st century, spotted fever rickettsioses are known as emerging diseases worldwide. Rickettsiae are obligately intracellular bacteria transmitted by arthropod vectors. The ecology of Rickettsia species has not been investigated in detail, but small mammals are considered to play a role as reservoirs. Aim of this study was to monitor rickettsiae in wild small mammals over a period of five years in four federal states of Germany. Initial screening of ear pinna tissues of 3939 animals by Pan-Rick real-time PCR targeting the citrate synthase (gltA) gene revealed 296 rodents of seven species and 19 shrews of two species positive for rickettsial DNA. Outer membrane protein gene (ompB, ompAIV) PCRs based typing resulted in the identification of three species: Rickettsia helvetica (90.9\%) was found as the dominantly occurring species in the four investigated federal states, but Rickettsia felis (7.8\%) and Rickettsia raoultii (1.3\%) were also detected. The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in rodents of the genus Apodemus was found to be higher (approximately 14\%) than in all other rodent and shrew species at all investigated sites. General linear mixed model analyses indicated that heavier (older) individuals of yellow-necked mice and male common voles seem to contain more often rickettsial DNA than younger ones. Furthermore, rodents generally collected in forests in summer and autumn more often carried rickettsial DNA. In conclusion, this study indicated a high prevalence of R. helvetica in small mammal populations and suggests an age-dependent increase of the DNA prevalence in some of the species and in animals originating from forest habitats. The finding of R. helvetica and R. felis DNA in multiple small mammal species may indicate frequent trans-species transmission by feeding of vectors on different species. Further investigations should target the reason for the discrepancy between the high rickettsial DNA prevalence in rodents and the so far almost absence of clinical apparent human infections.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{FischerMayerSchollImholtetal.2018,
  author    = {Fischer, Stefan and Mayer-Scholl, Anne and Imholt, Christian and Spierling, Nastasja G. and Heuser, Elisa and Schmidt, Sabrina and Reil, Daniela and Rosenfeld, Ulrike M. and Jacob, Jens and N{\"o}ckler, Karsten and Ulrich, Rainer G.},
  title     = {Leptospira genomospecies and sequence type prevalence in small mammal populations in Germany},
  series = {Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases},
  volume    = {18},
  journal   = {Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases},
  number    = {4},
  publisher = {Liebert},
  address   = {New Rochelle},
  issn      = {1530-3667},
  doi       = {10.1089/vbz.2017.2140},
  pages     = {188 -- 199},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Leptospirosis is a worldwide emerging infectious disease caused by zoonotic bacteria of the genus Leptospira. Numerous mammals, including domestic and companion animals, can be infected by Leptospira spp., but rodents and other small mammals are considered the main reservoir. The annual number of recorded human leptospirosis cases in Germany (2001-2016) was 25-166. Field fever outbreaks in strawberry pickers, due to infection with Leptospira kirschneri serovar Grippotyphosa, were reported in 2007 and 2014. To identify the most commonly occurring Leptospira genomospecies, sequence types (STs), and their small mammal host specificity, a monitoring study was performed during 2010-2014 in four federal states of Germany. Initial screening of kidney tissues of 3,950 animals by PCR targeting the lipl32 gene revealed 435 rodents of 6 species and 89 shrews of three species positive for leptospiral DNA. PCR-based analyses resulted in the identification of the genomospecies L. kirschneri (62.7\%), Leptospira interrogans (28.3\%), and Leptospira borgpetersenii (9.0\%), which are represented by four, one, and two STs, respectively. The average Leptospira prevalence was highest (approximate to 30\%) in common voles (Microtus arvalis) and field voles (Microtus agrestis). Both species were exclusively infected with L. kirschneri. In contrast, in bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis), DNA of all three genomospecies was detected, and in common shrews (Sorex araneus) DNA of L. kirschneri and L. borgpetersenii was identified. The association between individual infection status and demographic factors varied between species; infection status was always positively correlated to body weight. In conclusion, the study confirmed a broad geographical distribution of Leptospira in small mammals and suggested an important public health relevance of common and field voles as reservoirs of L. kirschneri. Furthermore, the investigations identified seasonal, habitat-related, as well as individual influences on Leptospira prevalence in small mammals that might impact public health.},
  language  = {en}
}