HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Vitullo, A. D. Articles by Merani, M. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Vitullo, A. D. Articles by Merani, M. S. Agricola Articles by Vitullo, A. D. Articles by Merani, M. S.

Is Vertical Transmission Sufficient to Maintain Junin Virus in Nature?

Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, piso 11, 1121-Buenos Aires, Argentina

The quantitative contribution of vertical transmission to the prevalence rate of Junin virus infection in subsequent generations of its natural reservoir, Calomys musculinus, was analysed. Data on mortality and reproduction of C. musculinus infected at birth with a wild strain of Junin virus were used to estimate the infection-dependent relative survival rate ( = 0.4849) and relative fertility of the infected host ( = 0.2088). Prevalence rates of infection, obtained by mathematical simulation in optimal conditions of vertical transfer, dropped steadily to zero in a few generations. Vertical transmission was found to be insufficient to overcome the effect of highly depressed survival and fertility of the infected host and maintain a stabilized prevalence of Junin virus infection in successive generations; this suggested that viral maintenance is mainly dependent upon horizontal transmission.

Keywords: Junin virus, transmission, Calomys, Argentine haemorrhagic fever

Received 9 November 1987; accepted 12 February 1988.