Abstract
Hantaviruses are members of the Bunyaviridae family carried by small mammals and causing human hemorrhagic fevers worldwide. In Western Africa, where a variety of hemorrhagic fever viruses occurs, indigenous hantaviruses have been molecularly found in animal reservoirs such as rodents, shrews, and bats since 2006. To investigate the human contact to hantaviruses carried by these hosts and to assess the public health relevance of hantaviruses for humans living in the tropical rainforest regions of Western and Central Africa, we performed a cross-sectional seroprevalence study in the region of Taï National Park in Côte d’Ivoire and the Bandundu region near the Salonga National Park in the Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo. Serum samples were initially screened with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays using nucleoproteins of several hantaviruses as diagnostic antigens. Positive results were confirmed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence testing. Seroprevalence rates of 3.9% (27/687) and 2.4% (7/295), respectively, were found in the investigated regions in Côte d’Ivoire and the DR Congo. In Côte d’Ivoire, this value was significantly higher than the seroprevalence rates previously reported from the neighboring country Guinea as well as from South Africa. Our study indicates an exposure of humans to hantaviruses in West and Central African tropical rainforest areas. In order to pinpoint the possible existence and frequency of clinical disease caused by hantaviruses in this region of the world, systematic investigations of patients with fever and renal or respiratory symptoms are required.
Highlights
Hantavirus infections are responsible for human disease worldwide with up to 200,000 cases estimated per year
Samples and Demographic Data A total of 982 blood samples were analyzed in the study, 687 and 295 samples were collected in Côte d’Ivoire and Democratic Republic (DR) Congo, respectively
Our work shows that people in the two studied African regions carry antibodies against hantavirus, strongly suggesting their previous exposure to this pathogen
Summary
Hantavirus infections are responsible for human disease worldwide with up to 200,000 cases estimated per year. First serological studies of patients with fever from the area indicated human hantavirus infections implying underestimation of hantavirus public health impact on the African continent (Klempa et al, 2006, 2010, 2012). In Africa, where many diseases remain neglected or underreported due to bad health care conditions, and other hemorrhagic fever viruses like Lassa or Ebola occur, nearly nothing is known about the epidemiology and case definition of hantavirus disease in humans. Recent outbreaks of zoonotic diseases, like MERS coronavirus on the Arabian Peninsula (de Groot et al, 2013) or Ebola virus in West Africa (Baize et al, 2014), demonstrate a high necessity for intensive studies of highly pathogenic zoonotic viruses in order to be prepared for their emergence and major outbreaks
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