Wild rodents as sentinel hosts for tick-borne encephalitis virus – a study of TBEV prevalence in TBEV foci in Lithuania

Abstract

Wild rodents are recognized as key reservoir hosts for tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), making them valuable indicators for identifying TBEV foci. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of viral RNA detection in rodents for confirming suspected TBEV hotspots. A total of 139 small rodents were captured from various known TBEV-endemic locations across Lithuania. Rodent samples were cultured in murine neuroblastoma Neuro-2a cells to increase viral RNA detectability. TBEV RNA was detected in 74.8% (95% CI: 66.7–81.1) of brain and internal organ mix suspensions. The prevalence rate significantly increased after sample cultivation in Neuro-2a cells. Notably, a strong correlation (r = 0.88; p < 0.05) was observed between TBEV RNA prevalence after cultivation in cells and the average monthly air temperature during rodent trapping. This study highlights the suitability of wild rodents as sentinel hosts for TBEV surveillance and demonstrates the effectiveness of cell culture methods in amplifying viral load for detection.