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Volume 15, Number 12—December 2009
Dispatch

Mopeia Virus–related Arenavirus in Natal Multimammate Mice, Morogoro, Tanzania

Stephan GüntherComments to Author , Guy Hoofd, Remi Charrel, Christina Röser, Beate Becker-Ziaja, Graham Lloyd, Christopher Sabuni, Ron Verhagen, Guido van der Groen, Jan Kennis, Abdul Katakweba, Rhodes Makundi, Herwig Leirs, and Robert Machang'u
Author affiliations: Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany (S. Günther, B. Becker-Ziaja); Institute of Tropical Medicine Leopold II, Antwerp, Belgium (G. Hoofd, G. van der Groen); Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France (R. Charrel); Artus Company, Hamburg (C. Röser); Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Salisbury, UK (G. Lloyd); Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania (C. Sabuni, A. Katakweba, R. Machang’u, R. Makundi); University of Antwerp Department of Biology, Antwerp (R. Verhagen, J. Kennis, H. Leirs); University of Aarhus Department of Integrated Pest Management, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark (H. Leirs)

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Table 2

Prevalence of Morogoro virus and Morogoro virus–specific antibodies in Mastomys natalensis mice from Morogoro University campus, Tanzania

Specimen and year of sampling No. samples No. (%) virus positive (PCR) No. (%) antibody positive* No. (%) antibody plus virus positive
Serum 2004 96 1 (1)† 42 (44) 0
Liver 2004 303 12 (4)† – –
Serum 2007 63 4 (6)‡ 40 (63) 3 (5)§

*By immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) assay, performed with Morogoro virus-infected cells (cut-off 32).
†Testing was performed with universal Old World arenavirus large (L) gene reverse transcription–PCR (9).
‡Testing was performed with Morogoro virus–specific L gene RT-PCR using primers MoroL3359-forward (5′-AGGATTAGTGAGAGAGAGAGTAATTC-3′) and MoroL3753-reverse (5′-ACATCATTGGGCCCCACTTACTATGGTC-3′).
§Titers ranged from 64 to 512.

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