MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF RODENT-AND-SHREW-BORNE VIRUSES AND THE PREVALENCE AND INTENSITY OF INFESTATION OF SMALL MAMMAL FLEAS, IN NAMIBIA A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science of The University of Namibia By Julia Hoveka 200515527 April 2015 Main Supervisor: Dr. J. K.E. Mfune Co-supervisor: Professor P. M. Chimwamurombe i ABSTRACT Small mammals host diverse communities of both ectoparasites (e.g. fleas and ticks) and endoparasites (e.g. bacteria and viruses). Some parasites are vectors of diseases that infect both humans and wildlife. The main objective of the study was to discover and molecularly characterize novel Hantaviruses and Arenaviruses and to determine the prevalence and intensity of fleas on small mammals in selected areas of Namibia. Small mammals were trapped from six different regions and screened for both Hantavirus and Arenavirus. The regions are, namely, Hardap, Khomas, Kunene, Okavango, Omaheke, and Otjozondjupa. Nucleotide sequence analysis of PCR of the partial large segments of both a Hantavirus and Arenavirus were amplified from RNA extracted from the lungs of small mammal hosts. Hantaviruses were not prevalent in any of the small mammals trapped. However, two new Arenaviruses, not previously recorded in Namibia were both isolated from the Namaqua rock mouse, Micaelamys namaquensis, trapped in Okahandja and Mariental. The Arenavirus isolated from rodents trapped in Okahandja and Mariental respectively, is closely related to the Merino Walk virus isolated from the Bush vlei rat, Myotomys unisulcatus, captured in South Africa and Luna virus discovered in Zambia in the host, the Natal multimammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis. A generalised linear model (GLM) was used to analyse the significant influence that different factors would present on the prevalence and intensity of flea infestation in three (Hardap, Khomas and Okavango, of the six regions. Factors tested for included host sex, body mass, head-body length and reproductive status. A total of 358, fleas belonging to 9 species (Chiastopsylla rossi, Xenopsylla cheopis, X. brasiliensis, X. ii hirsuta, X. nubica, X. philoxera, X. piriei, X. versuta, Listropsylla aricinae) were recovered. These fleas were recovered from 5 rodent species, namely Gerbilliscus leucogaster, Mastomys sp., M. namaquensis, Rhabdomys pumilio and Saccostomus campestris. Fleas were prevalent in only 52.3% of the hosts (114 small mammals) examined, of which 54.4% were female and 89.5% were breeding. The GLM analysis showed that host sex, body mass and head body length (representing size of the hosts) and reproductive status of hosts, did not significantly influence the prevalence of fleas on hosts in the three regions (p = 0.225, 0.053, 0.275, 0.086, respectively). Male hosts had a significantly high intensity of infestation of fleas compared to females, in Mariental (p = 0.005). Host body mass had a significant effect on the intensity of infestation of fleas in Neudamm (p = 0.003), whereas host head-body length exerted significantly influence on the intensity of infestation (p = 0.005). Gerbilliscus leucogaster was the only host species represented, in comparable numbers, in all three regions of study. The results of GLM analysis revealed that there was no significant difference in both the prevalence and intensity of infestation of G. leucogaster in the three regions of study. The use of PCR has revealed the presence of rodent-borne Arenaviruses. Various factors that possibly influence the intensity and prevalence of flea infestation in small mammals have been determined using the GLM analysis. iii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated the Lord Almighty, who has carried me from the beginning to the end of this program in His strength. It is also dedicated to my mother, Ms. Luciana Hoveka, who has brought me up to be the person I am today. If it were not for her, I would not have been able to achieve what I have achieved thus far. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I firstly acknowledge the Lord who has been a great source of strength, comfort and wisdom throughout this project. This project would not have been possible without the funding of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinshaft (DFG) and therefore I thank them wholeheartedly for their financial assistance. I would like to thank the University of Namibia for granting me the opportunity to do this project. I would like to express my deep appreciation to my supervisor Dr. J. K.E. Mfune and co-supervisor Prof. P. M. Chimwamurombe. Their guidance and inputs into this work has really motivated me to do more and achieve better. I thank my supervisors for taking time to read through drafts and guiding me along the way. I especially thank Dr. Mfune for his assistance during trapping session and for his caring heart, and Prof. Chimwamurombe for always being able to encourage and motivate me with his mere words. I thank the Ministry of Environment and Tourism for granting me the necessary permission to set traps within the country (permit number 1666/2012). I thank the staff members at Charité in Berlin, Germany and Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa, for allowing me to make use of their laboratory facilities to do my work. I thank Ms Ndapewa Ithete at Tygerberg, for her continuous support and help with information and resources that I used for the project. Special thanks to Dr. Peter Witskowski, Charité, who has been a great source of help and encouragement during this project. I greatly thank the staff of the Department of Biological Sciences at the v University of Namibia, for their help and support and for availing their laboratories and facilities for the duration of this project. I would also like to thank the staff at and Central Veterinary Laboratory for allowing me to temporarily use their laboratory facilities. I would also like to thank Mr Mbangu, Michael and Lego for their willingness and readiness to assist with trapping sessions. I would like to thank the following who allowed us to set traps in their land: farm owners, the municipality of Mariental, Ms Zuraide in Mariental, the management and staff members of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (who also availed space in their laboratories to process and store organ specimens). Special thanks go out to Professor Kazembe, Mr Klemens Mutorwa, Mrs Mandene Morkel and Mrs Tabitha Dumba and Ms Noa for helping me with data analysis by availing their statistical software and knowledge whenever the need arose. I also extend my appreciation to Mr Dominique Schouw who was always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that all is in order. I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to my husband, Mr Ivan Musuuo who has been a strong pillar of support, motivation and encouragement every step of the way. I thank him for his understanding and his caring heart. I am humbled. I thank my family and all friends for their prayers and continuous support. Without some of them, I would not have had the extra motivation to continue through every moment of weakness. May the Lord bless each one for their support. It is greatly appreciated. vi DECLARATION I, Julia Hoveka, declare hereby that this thesis is a true reflection of my own research, and that this work, or part thereof has not been submitted for a degree in any other institution of higher education. No part of this thesis may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by means (e.g. electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior permission of the author, or The University of Namibia in that behalf. I, Julia Hoveka, grant The University of Namibia the right to reproduce this thesis in whole or in part, in any manner or format, which the University of Namibia may deem fit, for any person or institution requiring it for study and research; providing that the University of Namibia shall waive this right if the whole thesis has been or is being published in a manner satisfactory to the University. ………………………………… Date……………………………… Julia Hoveka vii ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS CCF Cheetah Conservation Fund CCHFV Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever cDNA complementary deoxyribonucleic acid Cr Chiastopsylla rossi Waterston 1909 CytB-F Cytochrome B forward CytB-R Cytochrome B reverse DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid dNTP Deoxynucleotide Triphosphate DTT Ditiothreitol G1/2 Glycoprotein 1/2 GPC Glycoprotein precursor GPS Global Position System HAN-F Hantavirus forward primer HAN-R Hantavirus reverse primer HCPS Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome HPS Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome HFRS Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome viii Lar Listropsylla aricinae DeMeillon 1949 LCMV Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus M-MLV RT Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus Reverse Transcriptase MWV Merino Walk virus N protein Nucleocapsid protein RNA Ribonucleic acid RT-PCR Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction RVFV Rift Valley Fever Virus SANGV Sangassou virus SDS Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate TGNV Tanganya virus UNCBD United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Xb Xenopsylla brasiliensis Baker 1904 Xc Xenopsylla cheopis Rothschild 1903 Xh Xenopsylla hirsuta Ingram 1928 Xn Xenopsylla nubica Rothschild 1903 Xph Xenopsylla philoxera Hopkins 1949 Xpi Xenopsylla piriei Ingram 1928 ix Xv Xenopsylla versuta Jordan 1925 x TABLES Table 1.1: Hantaviruses pathogenic to humans……………………….…… 2 Table 1.2: Arenaviruses pathogenic to humans……………………….…… 7 Table 2.1: Shrew-borne Hantaviruses and their small mammal host species 29 Table 2.2: Newly discovered Arenaviruses and their small mammal host species ………………………………………………………………….. 38 Table 3.1: Description of biomes for the investigation of fleas…………… 55 Table 3.2: Primers used for the primary PCR screening of Hantaviruses…. 62 Table 3.3: Primers used for the nested PCR screening of Hantaviruses…… 63 Table 3.4: Primers used for PCR screening of Arenaviruses…………….... 65 Table 3.5: Primers used for the PCR of Cytochrome sequences for the identification of host species…………………………………… 68 Table 4.1: The number of small mammal hosts caught from the different sites for this study….…………………………….…................................