Tick-borne encephalitis virus in Clethrionomys glareolus in the Czech Republic

A total of 474 specimens from 157 rodents caught at the military training area of Boletice in the south of the Czech Republic from May to November 1999 were screened for TBEV by nested PCR. TBEV-specific RNA was amplified from lung, kidney, and spleen derived from one Clethrionomys glareolus in the first RT-PCR round. Sequence analysis revealed a 100% identity to the TBEV strain Neudoerfl. TBEV presence in the sample was confirmed by mouse brain passage of backup samples and cell culture. The results support the observation that hantaviruses and TBEV transmission can occur sympatrically in the same rodent population.