Emerg Infect DiseidEmerging Infectious Diseases1080-60401080-6059Centers for Disease Control100816782627683Research ArticleA longitudinal study of Sin Nombre virus prevalence in rodents, southeastern Arizona.KuenziA. J.Akuenzi@mtech.eduMorrisonM. L.SwannD. E.HardyP. C.DownardG. T.University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.Jan-Feb199951113117

We determined the prevalence of Sin Nombre virus antibodies in small mammals in southeastern Arizona. Of 1,234 rodents (from 13 species) captured each month from May through December 1995, only mice in the genus Peromyscus were seropositive. Antibody prevalence was 14.3% in 21 white-footed mice (P. leucopus), 13.3% in 98 brush mice (P. boylii), 0.8% in 118 cactus mice (P. eremicus), and 0% in 2 deer mice (P. maniculatus). Most antibody-positive mice were adult male Peromyscus captured close to one another early in the study. Population dynamics of brush mice suggest a correlation between population size and hantavirus-antibody prevalence.