Small mammal studies in a SAD baiting area

Abstract

Studies in the laboratory or in the field on the effect of SAD virus on small rodents are reported. Laboratory experiments by oral inoculation of SAD strain in a wide variety of small mammals led to the conclusion that spontaneous SAD transmission from rodent to rodent is a rare event. Field experiments were conducted by live-trapping, sacrifice and analysis of 192 Apodemus sylvaticus, 28 Clethrionomys glareolus and 48 Crocidura russula. They gave no indication that SAD virus became established in this small animal community on an island after a single exposure to a high density (300 sites on 10 hectares) of vaccine baits.