Landscape and regional environmental analysis of the spatial distribution of hantavirus human cases in europe.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In Europe, the most prevalent hantavirus, Puumala virus, is transmitted by bank voles and causes nephropathia epidemica in human. The European spatial distribution of nephropathia epidemica is investigated here for the first time with a rich set of environmental variables.

Methods

The influence of variables at the landscape and regional level is studied through multilevel logistic regression, and further information on their effects across the different European ecoregions is obtained by comparing an overall niche model (boosted regression trees) with regressions by ecoregion.

Results

The presence of nephropathia epidemica is likely in populated regions with well-connected forests, more intense vegetation activity, low soil water content, mild summers, and

SUBMITTER: Zeimes CB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4379737 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature