Abstract
Hendra virus (HeV), a highly pathogenic zoonotic paramyxovirus recently emerged from bats, is a major concern to the horse industry in Australia. Previous research has shown that higher temperatures led to lower virus survival rates in the laboratory. We develop a model of survival of HeV in the environment as influenced by temperature. We used 20 years of daily temperature at six locations spanning the geographic range of reported HeV incidents to simulate the temporal and spatial impacts of temperature on HeV survival. At any location, simulated virus survival was greater in winter than in summer, and in any month of the year, survival was higher in higher latitudes. At any location, year-to-year variation in virus survival 24 h post-excretion was substantial and was as large as the difference between locations. Survival was higher in microhabitats with lower than ambient temperature, and when environmental exposure was shorter. The within-year pattern of virus survival mirrored the cumulative within-year occurrence of reported HeV cases, although there were no overall differences in survival in HeV case years and non-case years. The model examines the effect of temperature in isolation; actual virus survivability will reflect the effect of additional environmental factors.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.References
Baldock FC, Douglas IC, Halpin K, Field H, Young PL, Black PF. (1996). Epidemiological investigations into the 1994 equine morbillivirus outbreaks in Queensland, Australia. Sing Vet J 20, 57-61.
Casanova LM, Jeon S, Rutala WA, Weber DJ, Sobsey MD (2010) Effects of air temperature and relative humidity on coronavirus survival on surfaces. Applied Environmental Microbiology 76:2712-2717
Daszak P, Cunningham AA, Hyatt AD (2000) Emerging infectious diseases of wildlife—threats to biodiversity and human health. Science 287:443–449
Dobson A, Foufopoulos J (2001) Emerging infectious pathogens of wildlife. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society London B Biological Sciences 356: 1001-1012
Dupont GV (1997) The Effects of Trees on Microclimate Along a Rainfall Gradient in South-Queensland. MSc Thesis, University of Queensland, Brisbane, p 244
Field H (2005) The Ecology of Hendra Virus and Australian Bat Lyssavirus. PhD thesis, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. http://www.hendravirus.org/Documents/Hume%20Field%20Field%20Thesis%202004.pdf. Accessed 31 Nov 2013
Field HE, Barratt PC, Hughes RJ, Shield J, Sullivan ND (2000) A fatal case of Hendra virus infection in a horse in north Queensland: clinical and epidemiological features. Australian Veterinary Journal 78:279-280
Field H, Schaaf K, Kung N, Simon C, Waltisbuhl D, Hobert H, Moore F, Middleton D, Crook A, Smith G, Daniels P, Glanville R, Lovell D (2010) Hendra virus outbreak with novel clinical features, Australia. Emerging Infectectious Diseases 16:338-340
Field H, de Jong C, Melville D, Smith C, Smith I, Broos A, Kung YH, McLaughlin A, Zedderman A (2011) Hendra virus infection dynamics in Australian fruit bats. PLoS One 6: e28678
Fogarty R, Halpin K, Hyatt AD, Daszak P, Mungall BA (2008) Henipavirus susceptibility to environmental variables. Virus Research 132:140-144
Halpin K, Young PL, Field HE, Mackenzie JS (2000) Isolation of Hendra virus from pteropid bats: a natural reservoir of Hendra virus. Journal of General Virology 81:1927-1932
Kung N, McLaughlin A, Taylor M, Moloney B, Wright T, Field H. (2013) Hendra Virus and Horse Owners – Risk Perception and Management. PLoS ONE 8(11): e80897. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080897
Li W, Shi Z, Yu M, Ren W, Smith C, Epstein JH, Wang H, Crameri G, Hu Z, Zhang H, Zhang J, McEachern J, Field H, Daszak P, Eaton BT, Zhang S, Wang L-F (2005) Bats are natural reservoirs of SARS-like coronaviruses. Science 310:676-679
McFarlane R, Becker N, Field H (2011) Investigation of the climatic and environmental context of Hendra virus spillover events 1994–2010. PLoS One 6: e28374.
Murray K, Rogers R, Selvey L, Selleck P, Hyatt A, Gould A, Gleeson L, Hooper P, Westbury H. (1995) A novel Morbillivirus pneumonia of horses and its transmission to humans. Emerging Infectious Diseases 1:31-33
Playford EG, McCall B, Smith G, Slinko V, Allen G, Smith I, Moore, F, Taylor C, Kung YH, Field H (2010) Human Hendra virus encephalitis associated with equine outbreak, Australia, 2008. Emerging Infectious Diseases 16:219-223
Plowright RK, Field HE, Smith C, Divljan A, Palmer C, Tabor G, Daszak P, Foley JE. (2008) Reproductive and nutritional stress are risk factors for Hendra virus infection in little red flying foxes (Pteropus scapulatus). Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences 275(1636):861-869
Reed LJ, Muench H (1938) A simple method for estimating fifty percent end points. American Journal of Hygiene 27:493–497
Scanlan JC (2002) Some aspects of tree-grass dynamics in Queensland’s grazing lands. Rangeland Journal 24:56-82
Selvey LA, Wells RM, McCormack JG, Ansford AJ, Murray K, Rogers RJ, Lavercombe PS, Selleck P, Sheridan JW (1995) Infection of humans and horses by a newly described morbillivirus. The Medical Journal of Australia 162:642-645
Weber TP, Stilianakis NI (2008) Inactivation of influenza A viruses in the environment and modes of transmission: a critical review. Journal of Infection 57:361-373
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the members of the Queensland Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases team and the special funding from the Queensland Government.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Scanlan, J.C., Kung, N.Y., Selleck, P.W. et al. Survival of Hendra Virus in the Environment: Modelling the Effect of Temperature. EcoHealth 12, 121–130 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-014-0920-4
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-014-0920-4