Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 67(3), 2002, pp. 310–318 Copyright © 2002 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene INFECTION DYNAMICS OF SIN NOMBRE VIRUS AFTER A WIDESPREAD DECLINE IN HOST POPULATIONS JOHN D. BOONE, KENNETH C. MCGWIRE, ELMER W. OTTESON, ROBERT S. DEBACA, EDWARD A. KUHN, STEPHEN C. ST. JEOR Department of Microbiology, University of Nevada Reno; Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada AND Abstract. Many researchers have speculated that infection dynamics of Sin Nombre virus are driven by density patterns of its major host, Peromyscus maniculatus. Few, if any, studies have examined this question systematically at a realistically large spatial scale, however. We collected data from 159 independent field sites within a 1 million-hectare study area in Nevada and California, from 1995–1998. In 1997, there was a widespread and substantial reduction in host density. This reduction in host density did not reduce seroprevalence of antibody to Sin Nombre virus within host populations. During this period, however, there was a significant reduction in the likelihood that antibody-positive mice had detectable virus in their blood, as determined by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Our findings suggest 2 possible causal mechanisms for this reduction: an apparent change in the age structure of host populations and landscape-scale patterns of host density. This study indicates that a relationship does exist between host density and infection dynamics and that this relationship concurrently operates at different spatial scales. It also highlights the limitations of antibody seroprevalence as a metric of infections, especially during transient host-density fluctuations. mechanisms by which host density may influence natural infection dynamics is poorly understood. Most studies to date have failed to detect a clear linear correlation between concurrently measured host density and antibody seroprevalence (i.e., percent of animals with antibody to SNV) at local sampling sites.4–5,9 There are reported exceptions to this pattern, although they typically are based on data from a few sites.10,11 In 1995–1998, we conducted field studies to characterize the ecology of the deer mouse/SNV system in the Walker River Basin of Nevada and California.5,15 Our study design emphasized sampling many independent sites to capture the ecologic diversity present within our study area, as opposed to more intense study of a few sites. This article addresses the effects of a 1-year, large-scale decline in host density on SNV infection patterns. Although other Peromyscus species that can host SNV were present within our study area, deer mice were the only species that occurred at most sites (see Appendix), and we focus on them. In addition to testing blood from all captured deer mice for antibody to SNV, we tested a subset of blood samples for SNV RNA, which more accurately indicates an acute, relatively new infection. In this article, we make a distinction between these acute (i.e., highly transmissible) infections and low-grade chronic infections that seem to persist for life after animals have cleared virus from the blood. Current evidence suggests that virus titers are much higher in mice during the initial acute phase and that human exposure to SNV and rodent-to-rodent transmission occur primarily during this period.6 We also distinguish between the local spatial scale (which we define as the area sampled by a single, typical live-trapping site, within which all rodents have the opportunity to interact) and the large, or regional, spatial scale (an area at least several orders of magnitude greater than a local site, with component local host populations exhibiting varying degrees of contact with neighboring populations). INTRODUCTION In 1993, an unexplained respiratory distress syndrome was reported in the Four Corners area of the southwestern United States, ultimately resulting in a few dozen human fatalities. Sin Nombre virus (SNV), a previously unknown hantavirus (family Bunyaviridae), was rapidly identified and confirmed as the causative agent of the human disease, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).1,2 The primary natural hosts of SNV were found to be rodents of the genus Peromyscus, especially the deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus.2,3 Humans were thought to become infected primarily by inhaling aerosolized rodent excreta containing infectious virus. Subsequent field studies revealed that SNV is widespread and common in deer mouse populations across much of the species’ geographic range.4,5 Further investigations revealed that deer mice infected with SNV experience an initial acute phase, when SNV is most likely to be shed in blood, urine, and saliva. This phase is followed by a chronic low-grade infection without severe pathology, during which virus seems to be absent in the blood but is present at relatively low levels in several organs.6 Other New World hantaviruses similar to SNV have been found in other rodent hosts (some of which may cooccur with deer mice), but only a subset of these viruses are known to produce human disease.7 Since 1993, >240 human cases of HPS have been confirmed in the United States, with a mortality rate of approximately 40% (Mills J, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, personal communication). HPS outbreaks comparable to the original 1993 incident have not recurred in the United States, although large outbreaks attributed to other hantaviruses have been reported in South America.8 Given the relatively sporadic nature of HPS cases since 1993 and concerns about future outbreaks, there is interest in documenting and understanding the temporal dynamics of this host-virus system. Field studies conducted after the initial outbreak indicated that SNV infection patterns are variable over time at some sites but are relatively stable at others.5,9–11 It has been suggested that variations in infection rates within host populations or risk of human exposure to hantaviruses may be a function of host-density patterns.7,12–14 Although it seems logical that elevated host density increases the opportunities for human-rodent contact, the specific METHODS Study area and site selection. The Walker River Basin of Nevada and California (1.02 million hectares) is located south of Reno, Nevada, and northeast of Yosemite National Park (Figure 1). At least 10 cases of HPS have occurred in or near 310 HOST POPULATIONS AND SIN NOMBRE VIRUS FIGURE 1. Location of the Walker River Basin study area (heavy outline) within the Great Basin (shaded area). Walker River Basin since 1993. The eastern half of the study area comprises the arid basin-and-range topography typical of much of Nevada, whereas the western portion extends through foothills to the crest of the Sierra Nevada range. Ecologic diversity within Walker River Basin is substantial. Major habitat types associated with ascending elevations (1,200–3,760 m) include salt desert scrub, sagebrush-grass steppe, pinyon-juniper woodland, coniferous forest, montane shrubland, and limited amounts of alpine tundra at the highest elevations. Riparian habitat and meadows occur across a wide range of altitudes. To sample systematically a wide range of the ecologic variability present within this region, field-sampling sites were selected using a geographic information system that incorporated remotely sensed data, elevation maps, and vegetation maps. Each of the 8 major vegetation types (see earlier) was subdivided into a number of strata, each representing a unique combination of above-median or below-median values for altitude, slope, vegetation density, vegetation structure, and distance from stream corridors. During each year, sample sites were selected randomly within each of these strata (see Boone et al15 for complete details). Because this procedure was repeated exactly for every year, each year’s data set represents an unbiased, randomized-stratified sample of the entire study area. In 1995, 42 sites were sampled; 92 sites were sampled in 1996; 47 sites were sampled in 1997; and 46 sites were sampled in 1998. Sample size among years differed (especially 1996) because of varying availability of resources and trained technical personnel and the demands of other ongoing studies. Although most sites were sampled only once, 41 were sampled in ⱖ2 years, including 11 that were sampled longitudinally (multiple times within ⱖ2 years). Thus, our total of 159 independent sites over the 4 years is less than the sum of each year’s sample size. The positions occupied in the sampling stratification by the repeat-visit sites were withdrawn when selecting new sites for each year. Results from multiple 311 visits to longitudinally sampled sites within a given year were averaged to produce a single data point for that year so that these sites did not exert disproportionate influence. Live-trapping and collection of blood samples. Field sampling during each year (1995–1998) occurred in June– September. Rodents at every site were live-trapped according to a standardized protocol. A total of 48 Ugglan (Grahnab, Marieholm, Sweden) mesh live-traps were used at each trapping site, placed in 2 identical subgrids that were separated by 70 m. Two subgrids were used to characterize each site to avoid reliance on a single, potentially atypical, habitat patch. Each subgrid had 24 traps in a 6 × 4 pattern with 10-m spacing between traps. Results from subgrid pairs were combined to produce site-level data. Traps were operated for 2–5 days, depending on capture success. We standardized our estimate of population density of deer mice by counting only the number of unique animals captured during the first 2 days of trapping (i.e., relative density; see Slade and Blair20 for justification and rationale for this approach). Therefore, our relative, standardized estimates of population density were sometimes lower than the actual number of individual animals that were captured and processed on a given site. After weighing, sexing, and species identification, a blood sample was collected from each deer mouse (and other potential SNV hosts) at the trap station by retro-orbital puncture with a heparinized capillary tube or Pasteur pipette. Animals were marked with ear tags or fur clips to avoid collection of duplicate blood samples in later days of the trapping session. Rodents were released at point of capture. Blood samples were placed immediately on dry ice until they could be returned to the laboratory for analysis. Laboratory analysis. Every blood sample was tested for antibody to SNV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), using SNV recombinant antigen and secondary antibody developed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA).21 Each sample was paired with a negative control sample using negative recombinant antigen, and each ELISA plate was run with a known positive control sample. All details of ELISA testing and evaluation procedures are given in Otteson et al.22 We also tested a subset of samples for the presence of virus RNA in the blood using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We initially tested antibodypositive and antibody-negative samples. By the end of 1996, we found only 16 of 673 samples from antibody-negative rodents that were positive by RT-PCR (2.4%) (see Boone et al5 and Rowe et al23 for further discussion). Because of these results and the expense and time involved in PCR testing, we concentrated thereafter on testing randomly selected subsets of antibody-positive samples, which are the focus of this article. Positive ELISA tests have been reported to have a concordance of 50–70% with the presence of virus RNA in blood as determined by RT-PCR in previous studies,22,23 but we suspected that this rate might vary considerably at different sites depending on whether an acute infection exists. RNA extraction and RT-PCR were conducted according to the protocols in Rowe et al.23 To avoid RNA template or PCR product cross-contamination, RNA extraction and purification was conducted in a biohazard containment hood in a biosafety level 3 laboratory, and RT-PCR reactions were performed in a biohazard containment hood in a separate laboratory. Previously designed primer sets specific to Nevada 312 BOONE AND OTHERS SNV sequences were used.23 To confirm positive results, purified PCR products were sequenced directly by dye deoxy automatic sequencing23 (ABI Prism 310 automatic sequencer, Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA). Data analysis. Data sets from each year were compared with one another with regard to host relative density, mean animal weight, sex ratio, percent juveniles, antibody prevalence, and frequency of positive RT-PCR results in antibodypositive animals. Among-year sampling bias was minimized by the randomized-stratified site selection criteria that were used every year, as described earlier. Antibody prevalences were calculated for each individual sampling site (number animals positive/number animals tested), and a mean prevalence was calculated for each year. For the sites that were sampled more than once in a given year, raw data were combined to produce a single value for overall antibody prevalence and mean relative density for that site and year. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), Kruskal-Wallis tests, and categorical analyses with multiple comparisons were used to compare variables among years (Systat version 9, SPSS Science, Chicago, IL). Variables that were candidates for parametric procedures (ANOVA) were evaluated for normality using the tests and criteria provided in Systat 9 (skewness/skewness SE; kurtosis/kurtosis SE). Weight of adult deer mice was acceptably normal, and relative density became acceptably normal for a robust parametric procedure (ANOVA) after a squareroot transformation ([relative density + 1]1/2). Antibody prevalence could not be transformed to an acceptable approximation of normality and was tested nonparametrically (Kruskal-Wallis test). RT-PCR results, sex ratios, and percent juveniles were frequency counts that were tested using 2 procedures with multiple comparisons.24 Finally, to allow graphic examination of temporal trends, relative density and antibody seroprevalence were plotted over time for the 18 sites that were sampled in ⱖ3 years. RESULTS We collected 3,577 blood samples from deer mice during the study. Yearly data on relative density, antibody prevalence, RT-PCR results, host demography, and site status are summarized in Table 1. In 1997, we observed a substantial decline in deer mouse density across our entire study area. Mean relative density of deer mice in 1997 was less than one third that of any other year (Table 1, Figure 2A) (one-way ANOVA on transformed data, F ⳱ 8.70, P < 0.001). According to pairwise multiple comparisons with Bonferronicorrections, relative density in 1997 differed from all other years (P < 0.007 for all comparisons), but 1995, 1996, and 1998 were statistically equivalent to one another. Mean antibody prevalence of sampling sites did not differ among years (Kruskal-Wallis test statistic ⳱ 1.929, P ⳱ 0.59), contrary to a priori expectations. It was higher in 1997 (the low-density year) than in other years. A total of 226 antibody-positive samples (from different individual rodents) were tested by RT-PCR for virus RNA in the blood (21 from 1995, 99 from 1996, 75 from 1997, and 31 from 1998). There was a significant and substantial drop in 1997 in the frequency of antibody-positive animals that were positive by RT-PCR (Table 1) (Pearson 2 ⳱ 19.74, P < 0.01). A multiple comparison procedure for proportions from Zar24 indicated that RT-PCR prevalence among antibody-positive deer mice was significantly lower in 1997 than in any other year (P < 0.001 for all 3 comparisons), but that there was no difference between any of the normal-density years. Thus, in 1997, a significantly smaller proportion of antibody-positive mice were experiencing an acute infection than was the case in other years. There was an apparent change in host age structure in 1997, relative to other years. Mean weight of adult deer mice was significantly different among years, with the highest weight occurring in 1997 (Table 1) (one-way ANOVA, F ⳱ 51.67, P < 0.001). Pairwise multiple comparison procedures with Bonferroni-corrections indicated that weights differed among all pairs of years (P < 0.001) except for 1995 versus 1998. Ratio of males in each year varied between 47.5% and 55.9%, and ratios of juveniles varied from 12.6–17.7% (Table 1). Differences in these variables among years were significant (Pearson 2 ⳱ 8.38, P ⳱ 0.04 for sex ratio; 2 ⳱ 22.53, P < 0.001 for juveniles) but did not seem to be associated with the population decline of 1997 (Table 1). DISCUSSION Major findings. In 1997, when population densities of deer mice were relatively low across the entire study region, there was a significant reduction in the frequency of acute infections among antibody-positive animals, although antibody TABLE 1 Yearly summaries of deer mouse relative density (number of unique animals caught per site during the first 2 days of trapping), mean antibody (AB) prevalence, site infection status based on antibody results, proportion of antibody-positive animals that were positive by RT-PCR, mean weight of adult deer mice, sex ratios, and percent juveniles* Year Mean density Mean AB prevalence Total no. sites (sample size) No. AB-positive sites (%) No. AB-negative sites (%) No. sites without deer mice (%) Proportion of AB-positive animals that were RT-PCR positive (%) Mean weight of adults Sex ratio (% male) Percent juveniles 1995 1996 1997 1998 11.1 [10.9] 0.16 [0.19] 42 22 (52%) 16 (38%) 4 (10%) 13/21 (62%) 17.8 (n ⳱ 446) 55.9 (n ⳱ 528) 12.6 (n ⳱ 549) 10.3 [10.4] 0.18 [0.16] 92 59 (64%) 22 (24%) 11 (12%) 49/99 (49%) 16.8 (n ⳱ 1,031) 49.9 (n ⳱ 1,212) 13.8 (n ⳱ 1,207) 2.4 [3.2] 0.22 [0.23] 47 21 (45%) 12 (26%) 14 (30%) 19/75 (25%) 19.5 (n ⳱ 371) 47.5 (n ⳱ 455) 17.7 (n ⳱ 452) 8.9 [9.9] 0.17 [0.20] 46 23 (50%) 12 (26%) 11 (24%) 20/31 (65%) 17.6 (n ⳱ 1,099) 49.6 (n ⳱ 1,340) 17.4 (n ⳱ 1,337) * SDs of relative density and antibody prevalence are given in brackets. Number of antibody-positive mice tested by RT-PCR each year is in the denominator of the proportions. Sample sizes for weight, sex ratio, and percent juveniles are listed for each year. Although most animals had their weight, sex, and age assessed, occasional escapes or ambiguous cases resulted in partial data for a few animals. Results of all statistical comparisons are given in the text. HOST POPULATIONS AND SIN NOMBRE VIRUS 313 FIGURE 2. Yearly trends for (A) relative density and (B) antibody seroprevalence, using only the 18 sites that were sampled in ⱖ3 years. Each line represents the trajectory of 1 site over time. prevalence itself did not decline. Synchronous fluctuations in the density of deer mice and other rodents across large regions were noted previously,16–18 but there is no universally accepted theory for their causal mechanisms. Similarly the cause of the 1997 decline is unknown, but we speculate that it resulted from climatic conditions that negatively affected production of preferred food sources (insects or seeds).19 The increased mean weight of adult animals in 1997 suggested that younger animals born in later 1996 experienced unusual mortality in the winter of 1996–1997, whereas older, heavier animals survived at higher rates. An alternative explanation would be that surviving animals were not age biased but gained weight more rapidly in early 1997 than typically would be the case. We consider the first explanation more likely, given the general association between weight and age in these relatively short-lived animals. Older, heavier, and more experienced animals, with better-established home ranges, might easily have a survival advantage during food shortages or other unusually stressful periods. Older animals are more apt to have experienced past infections than younger animals, leaving them antibody-positive and RT-PCR negative.4,5 If such differential survival occurred in 1996–1997, the resulting enrichment of host populations in previously infected animals could have contributed to the reduction in the frequency of acute infections (a second possible explanation is given subsequently). Eventually, reproduction in 1997 restored a more typical balance of previously infected versus susceptible animals, and by 1998, frequency of acute infections returned to more normal levels. Differences existed among years with regard to sex ratio and percent juveniles (especially for 1995). Based on the extent and the chronology of these differences, however, it is not clear that they were related to the population decline of 1997 (Table 1). It is possible that changes in sex ratio and 314 BOONE AND OTHERS percent juveniles reflected the operation of distinct demographic processes. The statistical analyses of weight, sex ratio, and percent juveniles were based on data sets characterizing individual animals (not trapping sites) and involved large sample sizes (Table 1). Larger sample sizes make statistical tests increasingly sensitive to small differences, and the results of these analyses should be interpreted with this in mind. Effects of spatial scale. The relationship between temporal host-density patterns and acute SNV infections was apparent when we combined data from all of our sites to characterize the entire study region as a single entity. When we previously looked for similar relationships at the local scale, however, we found no significant results using either ELISA or RT-PCR data.5 Most other studies of local site dynamics also failed to find clear relationships between host density and infections, although there are exceptions.4–5,9–11 It is suggested that changes in host density must occur at sufficiently large spatial and temporal scales before predictable changes in infection dynamics occur. We hypothesize that large-scale and relatively synchronous fluctuations in host density can affect infection dynamics by altering the efficiency with which infections can travel across space, from recently infected to susceptible populations. During unfavorable periods, host animals often disappear from marginal sites (Table 1), leaving surviving populations more isolated from one another than would otherwise be the case. Without a pathway occupied by susceptible animals, infections are more likely to be contained effectively in these local pockets, and infection-free populations have a decreased likelihood of becoming infected. Under this scenario, specific host-density levels within a local area may be relatively unimportant because the likelihood of an acute infection being present is determined by the hostdensity patterns of surrounding regions through which a potential infection initially must pass. Studies attempting to relate variations in local host density (within a normal-density year) to variations in antibody prevalence generally would fail to find a relationship. This possibility deserves additional consideration because most SNV field studies to date have focused on longitudinal sampling of one or a few local sites, a technique that might not efficiently capture large-scale dynamics of host populations. This hypothesized mechanism requires a host animal with limited dispersal capabilities (such as a rodent) that cannot travel easily between isolated populations. Limitations of the antibody prevalence metric. Antibodypositive status of animals at a local site can indicate any combination of acute infections, recent infections, or low-grade chronic infections that presumably pose little risk of transmission to humans or other rodents. Although antibody prevalence is an undeniably useful measurement, it has limitations in terms of assessing risk of human exposure or likelihood of rodent-to-rodent transmission. Specifically, during periods of unusual host population density, the normal interpretation of a given antibody prevalence value may need to be reevaluated. In 1997, a serologic study would have found no significant changes in SNV infection patterns. An atypically high proportion of deer mice were in the chronic low-grade state (i.e., virus RNA not present in blood), however, presumably as a result of infections initiated in 1996 or earlier. Because of its postinfection temporal inertia, an analysis relying only on antibody prevalence might fail to detect the true impact of population fluctuations on infection dynamics. If major shifts in host population density were maintained over a long period, however, we would expect antibody prevalence eventually to reflect the associated changes in infection dynamics. The antibody response experiences only a brief temporal inertia (of approximately 1 month)5 before accurately reflecting newly initiated infections. Thus, there is relatively little risk of misinterpreting the meaning of a low antibody prevalence, unless the sampling period is short. Conclusions. There has been considerable speculation and discussion about the potential effects of host-density fluctuations on SNV infections. This study provides the first spatially extensive description, using RT-PCR and ELISA data, of the nature of these effects. Specifically, large-scale population declines seem to affect not only the likelihood of rodent-human encounters, but also the likelihood that a given encounter involves a rodent that is shedding large amounts of virus. The strength of this relationship would be expected to degrade progressively at smaller scales of spatial resolution, at least in landscapes characterized by heterogeneous patterns of host population density. We would expect large-scale increases in population density initially to produce a significant increase in the frequency of acutely infected animals, with increases in antibody prevalence lagging behind by approximately 1 month.5,23 Carefully designed and fortuitous field studies might capture a wave of increasing disease prevalence as it travels from an initial focal point. Given the ecologic complexity of this host-virus system, additional well-replicated and spatially extensive studies need to be conducted in different geographic regions during host population fluctuations. The deer mouse uses an unusually wide variety of habitats and biomes, where it exhibits considerable demographic, ecologic, behavioral, and physiologic plasticity, all of which presumably can affect susceptibility to infections and the likelihood of virus transmission. Further complications occur in regions where multiple hosts for SNV frequently coexist (i.e., the southwestern United States). Only a meta-analysis of several robust studies ultimately can confirm the general properties of SNV/host dynamics and the effects of host-density fluctuations. We believe that our study can serve as a model for further investigations of these questions. Acknowledgments: The authors thank Dale Netski, Joan Rowe, and Monica Borucki for laboratory analysis and advice, and Joe Blattman and Pascal Villard for extensive field work. Financial support: This work was supported by NIH grants R01 AI36418-04 to Stephen C. St. Jeor and F32 AI09621 to John D. Boone. We thank NIH for its past and continuing support. Authors’ addresses: John D. Boone, Elmer W. Otteson, and Stephen C. St. Jeor, Department of Microbiology/320, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV 89557, Telephone: 775-784-6161. Kenneth C. McGwire, Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV 89512. Robert S. DeBaca, Department of Biologic Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX 79409. Edward A. Kuhn, Washington State University, School of Molecular Biosciences, PO Box 644234, Pullman, WA 99164-4234. Reprint requests: John D. 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APPENDIX 1 SITE-LEVEL DATA USED FOR THIS STUDY, PLUS DATA FOR POTENTIAL SNV CARRIERS THAT WERE CAPTURED AND TESTED BUT NOT OTHERWISE DISCUSSED, GROUPED BY YEAR Grid Visits/ Year Year PM Density PM Sampled PM Positive PM AB% PT Density PT Sampled PT AB% PC/B Density PC/B Sampled PC/B AB% 1 2 3 4 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 23 24 25 26 27 28 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 9 3 1 6 3 6 0 0 12 25 13 39 4 10 5 8 4 7 19 14 16 8 18 12 2 1 10 3 6 0 0 12 22 13 37 3 11 5 13 4 6 7 12 14 8 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 12 4 13 0 2 2 1 2 2 1 4 4 1 4 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 — — 0.50 0.55 0.31 0.35 0.00 0.18 0.40 0.08 0.50 0.33 0.14 0.33 0.29 0.13 0.27 23 1 0 4 0 6 1 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 22 1 0 4 0 6 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 — 0.25 — 0.00 1.00 0.00 — — — — 0.50 — — — — — — — — — — 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 316 BOONE AND OTHERS APPENDIX 1 (CONTINUED) Grid Visits/ Year Year PM Density PM Sampled PM Positive PM AB% PT Density PT Sampled PT AB% PC/B Density PC/B Sampled PC/B AB% 29 30a 30b 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 D1 D2 D3 H1a H1b H2 R1 R2 R3 1 4 13 14 15 23 24 26 30a 30b 31 42 44 45 46 47 50 51 53 54 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 76 80 81 83 84 85 87 88 89 90 91 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 4 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 5 16 36 1 1 0 12 3 1 0 10 18 8 46 6 8 29.25 18.25 18 6 26 3 4.5 10.5 6 29 36 22 36 2 0 27 9 2 1 3 21 4 24 6 8 12 16 15 6 17 18 17 5 8 4 6 13 5 0 7 2 40 0 0 1 3 1 10 1 4 1 47 5 3 6 15 1 1 0 12 3 1 0 11 20 7 21 3 7 121 84 17 6 21 3 12 26 6 28 35 7 18 2 0 22 9 1 1 3 16 4 16 6 6 12 16 15 6 17 15 16 5 8 4 5 11 5 0 7 2 35 0 0 1 3 1 9 1 4 1 35 5 0 0 5 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 5 14 0 0 3 2 2 8 1 11 7 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 2 0 0 4 5 2 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 4 0 2 0 11 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0.00 0.00 0.33 0.00 0.00 — 0.25 0.67 0.00 — 0.00 0.05 0.14 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.17 0.00 0.00 0.14 0.67 0.17 0.31 0.17 0.39 0.20 0.29 0.00 0.00 — 0.05 0.22 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.19 0.00 0.00 0.33 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.33 0.33 0.24 0.13 0.06 0.20 0.13 0.25 0.20 0.18 0.80 — 0.29 0.00 0.31 — — 0.00 0.33 0.00 0.11 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.06 0.20 0 0 2 3 0 0 5 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 8 0.25 2 0 3 5 0 0 0 0 0 16 8 2 4 0 1 2 0 1 0 6 0 0 3 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 4 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 7 0 7 0 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 14 4 1 4 0 1 2 0 1 0 6 0 0 3 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 — — 0.00 0.00 — — 0.25 — — — 0.00 — — — — 0.00 — 0.14 — 0.00 0.00 — — — — — 0.00 0.25 0.00 0.00 — 0.00 0.00 — 0.00 — 0.17 — — 0.00 0.00 — 0.00 — — — — — — — 0.13 0.00 — — — — 0.00 — 0.33 — — 0.00 — 0.00 — — — 0.00 — 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — — 4 — — — — — — — — — — 2 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 0.00 — — — — — — — — — — 0.00 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 317 HOST POPULATIONS AND SIN NOMBRE VIRUS APPENDIX 1 (CONTINUED) Grid Visits/ Year Year PM Density PM Sampled PM Positive PM AB% PT Density PT Sampled PT AB% PC/B Density PC/B Sampled PC/B AB% 92 94 95 98 99 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 114 117 118 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 132 133 D1 D2 D3 H1a H1b H2 R1 R2 R3 T1 1 14 15 24 26 21C 21E 21N 21S 30a 30b 30E 30N 30S 30W 45 51 54 54C 54W 58 58E 58N 58S 58W 64 70 85 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 5 5 1 7 7 7 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 96 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 5 1 6 5 13 9 14 9 6 6 8 16 5 7 15 1 20 18 1 0 2 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 5 15 1 23 19 33.5 13 33.2 7.6 12 20.57 18.57 9.86 12 0 0 4 1.5 2.5 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 14.5 1 0.5 0 0 1 0.5 0 1.5 2.5 3.5 2.5 4 1 4 0 5 1 6 5 13 9 13 8 6 6 8 16 5 7 13 1 20 17 0 0 2 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 5 15 1 22 38 65 23 67 17 11 120 123 61 11 0 0 4 3 5 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 29 2 1 0 0 2 1 0 3 5 5 5 8 1 11 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 7 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 0 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 9 13 26 4 5 4 1 35 29 9 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.17 0.40 0.15 0.22 0.54 0.13 0.17 0.17 0.25 0.13 0.40 0.29 0.23 0.00 0.15 0.24 — — 0.00 — — 0.25 — — 0.00 — 0.40 0.20 0.00 0.41 0.34 0.40 0.17 0.07 0.24 0.09 0.29 0.24 0.15 0.09 — — 0.50 0.00 0.00 — — — — — 0.33 0.17 0.10 0.00 0.00 — — 0.50 0.00 — 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.20 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5.5 2 0.5 12.4 1.2 5 1.29 5.29 0.57 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 4 1 22 3 5 9 36 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 0.00 — 0.00 — — — — — — — — 0.20 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.11 0.11 0.25 — — — — — — 0.00 — 0.00 — — — — — 0.00 — — — — — — — — — — 0.00 — — — 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.2 1.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 3 3 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 0.00 0.00 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 318 BOONE AND OTHERS APPENDIX 1 (CONTINUED) Grid Visits/ Year Year PM Density PM Sampled PM Positive PM AB% PT Density PT Sampled PT AB% PC/B Density PC/B Sampled PC/B AB% 85E 85W 86S 130 133 D1 D2 D3 H1a H1b H2 J1 J2 R1 R2 R3 T1 T2 T3 1 8 12 14 15 51 61 62 65 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 58N 58W D1 D2 D3 J1 J2 J3 R1 R2 R3 T1 T2 T3 1 1 3 2 2 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 8 8 4 6 6 6 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 8 8 7 7 3 6 6 6 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 0 1 4.67 3 9.5 3 0.5 0.5 0.67 0 4 0 1 4.88 7.63 0.75 10.17 7.83 6 7 13 14 3 31 12 24 29 5 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 8 5 0 0 0 0 11 1 1 4 6 0 1 0 24 23 10 15 6 3.88 6.75 20.63 16.57 14.57 1.33 29 23.67 34.33 0 1 24 9 22 11 2 2 1 0 8 0 2 38 59 3 79 60 40 7 22 14 5 31 12 33 40 5 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 8 5 0 0 0 0 11 1 1 4 4 0 1 0 24 23 15 24 9 35 51 167 112 93 4 191 159 226 0 1 8 1 6 4 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 13 18 0 31 14 11 1 4 2 0 4 1 4 5 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 2 3 10 4 0 10 4 49 8 0 76 57 94 — 1.00 0.33 0.11 0.27 0.36 0.50 0.50 0.00 — 0.13 — 0.50 0.34 0.31 0.00 0.39 0.23 0.28 0.14 0.18 0.14 0.00 0.13 0.08 0.12 0.13 0.00 — — 1.00 — 0.00 — — 0.00 — 0.00 0.20 — — — — 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.00 — 0.00 — 0.17 0.09 0.20 0.42 0.44 0.00 0.20 0.02 0.44 0.09 0.00 0.40 0.36 0.42 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 10.5 0 0.13 0 0 0 0 15 12 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 17.5 44.75 45.5 0 0.86 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 19 0 1 0 0 0 0 14 18 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 135 362 378 0 6 0 0 0 1 — — — — — — — — — — 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 1.00 — — — — 0.00 0.00 — — — 0.00 — — — — — — — — — — — — 0.00 — — — — — — — — — 0.00 — — — 0.00 0.00 0.00 — — 0.00 0.08 0.01 — 0.50 — — — 0.00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.67 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — — — — — — — 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 4 — — — — 7 — — — — — — — — — 5 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 0.00 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 0.00 — — — — 0.00 — — — — — — — — — 0.00 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — PM ⳱ Peromyscus maniculatus, PT ⳱ P. truei (pinyon mouse), PC/B ⳱ P. crinitus (canyon mouse) and or P. boylei (brush mouse). Density is relative density, as defined in the text, and AB% is antibody prevalence. Number sampled may exceed the relative density estimate as explained in the text. For sites sampled >1 time within a year, density is a yearly average.
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