DOI: 10.48443/nmj8-0v41
title: Rodent pathogen status, hantavirus (DP1.10064.001)
title: RELEASE-2025

description: This data product contains the quality-controlled, native sampling resolution data from NEON's testing of blood samples from individual small mammals for seroposivity to hantaviruses. Small mammal blood samples were tested for hantaviruses from 2014-2019. Beginning in 2020 rodent pathogen testing focuses on tick-borne diseases, and the data can be found in the rodent pathogen status, tick-borne data product (DP1.10064.002). The blood samples are collected as part of the mark-recapture, box trapping effort for small mammals (i.e., rodents (Rodentia) < 600 grams), with the field capture results available separately via the Small mammal box trapping data product (NEON.DP1.10072). Small mammals are sampled at regular intervals by NEON field technicians. Blood samples are collected from individuals of target species of rodents, including all species in the families Cricetidae, Muridae, and Dipodidae, if an individual weighs more than 10 grams and is in good physical condition. In a typical year, only a subset of blood samples collected will be tested, up to approximately 140 samples per NEON site, with the remaining samples archived. The sample identifiers for the blood samples allow users to link the pathogen test results provided in this data product to the field collection information, including taxonomic identification of the capture, to the Small mammal box trapping data product (NEON.DP1.10072). For additional details, see the user guide, protocols, and science design listed in the Documentation section in this data product's details webpage.

Latency:
The expected time from data and/or sample collection in the field to data publication is as follows, for each of the data tables (in days) in the downloaded data package. See the Data Product User Guide for more information.

rpt_bloodtesting:  270
description: Small mammal sampling is based on the lunar calendar, with timing of sampling constrained to occur within 10 days before or after the new moon. Typically, core sites are sampled 6 times per year, and relocatable sites 4 times per year. Small mammals are sampled using box traps (models LFA, XLK, H.B. Sherman Traps, Inc., Tallahassee, FL, USA). Box traps are arrayed in three to eight (depending on the size of the site) 10 x 10 grids with 10m spacing between traps at all sites.  Blood samples for pathogen testing are collected only once per individual per sampling bout, but an individual may be resampled in subsequent bouts. Rodent-borne pathogen status data are typically only collected on three of the mammal trapping grids at each site, with these grids designated as 'pathogen grids'. Pathogen grids are trapped for three consecutive (or nearly) nights per sampling event to facilitate the generation of robust density estimates. The remaining grids, 'diversity grids' are only sampled for one night per sampling event. Once a grid has been designated as a pathogen grid (after an initial assessment period of two years), that classification will apply for all subsequent trapping seasons for consistent, long-term data collection. Instrumentation: