Cowpox: reservoir hosts and geographic range

Chantrey, J ORCID: 0000-0002-4801-7034, Meyer, H, Baxby, D, Begon, M ORCID: 0000-0003-1715-5327, Bown, KJ, Hazel, SM, Jones, T, Montgomery, WI and Bennett, M (1999) Cowpox: reservoir hosts and geographic range. EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION, 122 (3). pp. 455-460.

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Abstract

It is generally accepted that the reservoir hosts of cowpox virus are wild rodents, although direct evidence for this is lacking for much of the virus's geographic range. Here, through a combination of serology and PCR, we demonstrate conclusively that the main hosts in Great Britain are bank voles, wood mice and short-tailed field voles. However, we also suggest that wood mice may not be able to maintain infection alone, explaining the absence of cowpox from Ireland where voles are generally not found. Infection in wild rodents varies seasonally, and this variation probably underlies the marked seasonal incidence of infection in accidental hosts such as humans and domestic cats.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	## TULIP Type: Articles/Papers (Journal) ## official_url: <Go to ISI>://000082022300015
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Animals, Cats, Humans, Mice, Cowpox virus, Zoonoses, Cowpox, DNA Primers, Longitudinal Studies, Seroepidemiologic Studies, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Seasons, Disease Reservoirs, Arvicolinae, United Kingdom
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	11 Apr 2016 09:31
Last Modified:	16 Dec 2022 10:24
DOI:	10.1017/S0950268899002423
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3000109