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Die Meldungen von klinisch auffälligen Hantavirus-Infektionen bei Menschen lagen in Deutschland von 2001 bis 2003 bei 106 bis 172 Fällen pro Jahr. Seit 2005 sind die Meldungen schwankend aber deutlich angestiegen; der höchste Wert wurde 2012 mit 2370 Fällen registriert. Eine Zunahme der Infektionen wird auch in anderen europäischen Ländern beobachtet. Das Auftreten von Hantaviren ist eng mit Kleinsäugern (u.a. Mäuse, Ratten und Spitzmäuse) assoziiert. Die meisten Fälle werden in Deutschland durch das Puumala-Orthohantavirus (PUUV) verursacht, das von der Rötelmaus (Myodes glareolus) übertragen wird. Die Untersuchungen in Waldgebieten lassen eine Korrelation zwischen der Anzahl der Infektionen und dem Anstieg der Mäusepopulation erkennen. Dies kann z.B. durch Buchenmast bedingt sein. Folgende Gegenden wurden als endemische Gebiete für PUUV-Infektionen identifiziert: Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen und Hessen. Hantaviruses: Potential hazard as a result of global warming? – Remarks. The reports of clinically registered human hantavirus infections in Germany were between 106 and 172 cases per year from 2001 to 2003. Since 2005 the numbers of reported cases have been fluctuating but nevertheless were significantly increasing; the highest value was registered in 2012 with 2370 cases. An increase of human infections has also been observed in other European countries. The occurrence of hantaviruses is closely associated with small mammals (including mice, rats and shrews). Most cases in Germany are caused by the Puumala Orthohantavirus (PUUV), which is transmitted by bank voles (Myodes glareolus). The investigations in forest areas revealed a correlation between the number of infections and the increase in mouse populations. This can e.g. be connected with strong beech masts. The following areas have been identified as endemic areas for PUUV infections: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse.

Puumala virus (PUUV) is a major cause of mild to moderate haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and is transmitted by the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). There has been a high cumulative incidence of recorded human cases in South-eastern Germany since 2004 when the region was first recognized as being endemic for PUUV. As the area is well known for outdoor recreation and the Bavarian Forest National Park (BFNP) is located in the region, the increasing numbers of recorded cases are of concern. To understand the population and environmental effects on the seroprevalence of PUUV in bank voles we trapped small mammals at 23 sites along an elevation gradient from 317 to 1420m above sea level. Generalized linear mixed effects models(GLMEM) were used to explore associations between the seroprevalence of PUUV in bank voles and climate and biotic factors. We found that the seroprevalence of PUUV was low (6%-7%) in 2008 and 2009, and reached 29% in 2010. PUUV seroprevalence was positively associated with the local species diversity and deadwood layer, and negatively associated with mean annual temperature, mean annual solar radiation, and herb layer. Based on these findings, an illustrative risk map for PUUV seroprevalence prediction in bank voles was created for an area of the national park. The map will help when planning infrastructure in the national park (e.g., huts, shelters, and trails).

In order to obtain a better understanding of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) strain movements in central Europe the E gene sequences of 102 TBEV strains collected from 1953 to 2011 at 38 sites in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Germany were determined. Bayesian analysis suggests a 350-year history of evolution and spread in central Europe of two main lineages, A and B. In contrast to the east to west spread at the Eurasian continent level, local central European spreading patterns suggest historic west to east spread followed by more recent east to west spread. The phylogenetic and network analyses indicate TBEV ingressions from the Czech Republic and Slovakia into Germany via landscape features (Danube river system), biogenic factors (birds, red deer) and anthropogenic factors. The identification of endemic foci showing local genetic diversity is of paramount importance to the field as these will be a prerequisite for in-depth analysis of focal TBEV maintenance and long-distance TBEV spread.

Zoonoze su bolesti koje se prenose sa životinja na ljude i predstavljaju sve veći javno-zdravstveni problem. Sitni glodavci, kao rezervoari različitih patogena, igraju važnu ulogu tijekom prijenosa zoonoza. Cilj našeg istraživanja bio je utvrditi prisutnost dvaju uzročnika važnih zoonoza ; hantavirusa i rikecija u sitnim glodavcima u Gorskom kotaru (lokalitet Gerovo), gdje do sada slična epidemiološka istraživanja nisu provedena te u šumi Žutici (kod Ivanić-Grada). Cijela Hrvatska (osim jadranske obale i otoka) je endemska za hantaviruse dok se prema dostupnim podacima Rickettsia spp. javlja uglavnom na obali i otocima. U ovom istraživanju analizirano je ukupno 194 uzorka (srce, pluća, bubreg) od 171 jedinke sitnih glodavaca. Uzorci su testirani na hantaviruse konvencionalnom metodom lančane reakcije polimerazom (PCR), a za Rickettsia spp. pomoću kvantitativne lančane reakcije polimerazom u stvarnom vremenu. Transudati srca testirani su na specifična IgG antitijela protiv hantavirusa i rikecija neizravnom imunofluorescencom (IIFT) pomoću komercijalnih testova za svaki patogen. Četiri uzorka bila su pozitivna na Rickettsia spp. metodom IIFT te su još tri uzorka bila pozitivna na kvantitativnom PCR-u. Iz lokaliteta Gerovo detektirano je 24 pozitivna uzorka metodom IIFT i potvrđeno 20 pozitivnih uzoraka na hantaviruse (13 uzoraka na virus Dobrava i sedam uzoraka na virus Puumala) koristeći konvencionalni PCR. Iz lokaliteta Žutica detektirano je devet pozitivnih uzorka na hantaviruse (osam uzoraka na virus Dobrava i jedan uzorak na virus Puumala) koristeći konvencionalni PCR. Zanimljivo je istaknuti da je u jednom uzorku PCR-om pronađena dvojna infekcija virusom Puumala i Rickettsia spp. U sva četiri serološki pozitivna uzorka na Rickettsia spp. dokazana je hantavirusna RNA (dva uzorka na virus Puumala i dva na virus Dobrava). Ovo istraživanje je u skladu s našim prethodnim istraživanjima o prisutnosti koinfekcija uzročnicima zoonoza u sitnim glodavcima. Osim toga, ovo je prvi dokaz Rickettsia spp. u sitnim glodavcima u Hrvatskoj, kao i prvi dokaz Rickettsia spp. na višoj nadmorskoj visini (oko 1000 m). Potrebna su daljnja istraživanja na ovom kao i na drugim područjima, kako bi se pokazala stvarna prevalencija Rickettsia spp. u sitnim glodavcima. Ova istraživanja, s posebnim osvrtom na koinfekcije mogu također biti važna osnova za buduće dijagnostičke smjernice u dokazivanju infekcija i mogućih koinfekcija uzročnicima zoonoza u ljudi.

Croatia, as a new NATO member, has a unique strategic position connecting Europe´s West and East, North and South. It is a melting pot of infectious agents and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases as well. Hantaviruses and Rickettsia spp. are important emerging infectious diseases in Croatia and the knowledge about their occurence and distribution is important for the public health, as well as, for military forces. As far as known whole Croatia (except the Adriatic coast and islands) is endemic for hantaviruses. According to the limited research data Rickettsia spp. occur mainly at the Adriatic coast and the Adriatic islands. The aim of our study was to detect hantaviruses and Rickettsia spp. in small rodents from one locality in the mountainous area of Central Croatia where similar epidemiological surveys have not been conducted so far and from one locality in the lowland forest in northwestern Croatia. In the current study a total of 194 heart, lung and kidney samples taken from small rodents were analyzed. The heart and part of lung samples were tested on hantaviruses by a conventional pan-hantavirus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and for Rickettsia spp. using a quantitative real time PCR. Transsudates of lungs and hearts were also tested for antibodies against hantaviruses and rickettsiae by indirect immunofluorescence (IIFT) using commercial test kits for each pathogen. We found four positive samples for Rickettsia spp. using IIFT and in addition, three positive samples were detected by quantitative PCR. There were 29 positive samples on hantaviruses (21 Dobrava and 8 Puumala viruses) using conventional PCR. The phylogenetic analysis of complete S and partial M segment of Dobrava and Puumala viruses confirmed our previous findings that hantaviruses in Croatia belong to the Alpe-Adrian lineage. This study provides us with first information that parts of Croatia, other than coast and islands, are endemic for Rickettsia spp. and that further studies among rodents, as well as among human population will have high strategic and public health significance. In addition we confirmed strong co-existence of both European pathogenic hantaviruses (Puumala and Dobrava) in Croatia.