Susceptibility of some African wild rodents to infection with various arthropod-borne viruses

Abstract
The susceptibility, measured in terms of viraemia and antibody response, of nine species of African wild rodents to one or more of 11 different arthropod-borne viruses was investigated. None of the rodents was susceptible to Spondweni, Pongola and Wesselsbron viruses. Following inoculation with West Nile and Bunyamwera viruses a single rodent species showed low grade viraemia. One or more rodent species responded with viraemia to Simbu, Rift Valley fever, Uganda S, Germiston, chikungunya and Middelburg viruses. Forty-six of 72 convalescent sera from rodents which developed viraemia had antibody. The possibility of these rodents being implicated in transmission cycles of these viruses is discussed.