Seroprevalence of hantavirus infections in Switzerland in 2009: difficulties in determining prevalence in a country with low endemicity

O Engler,F Frey,E Aliyev,J Klingström,S Fontana,A Tschaggelar,J Portmann,M Mütsch,A Stutz,C Hatz,C Niederhauser,M Strasser,S Bankoul,J Signer

doi:10.2807/1560-7917.es2013.18.50.20660

Abstract

Binary file ES_Abstracts_Final_ECDC.txt matches

Highlights

At present, the genus Hantavirus includes over 20 viruses, which are mainly transmitted from rodents to humans via aerosols
Puumala virus (PUUV) causes nephropathia epidemica (NE), a mild form of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which is generally not associated with major haemorrhagic symptoms and has a low case fatality rate of approximately 0.4% [6]
Other hantaviruses have been isolated in Germany, hantavirus infections in central Europe are generally caused by PUUV [10,11]

Summary

Introduction

The genus Hantavirus includes over 20 viruses, which are mainly transmitted from rodents to humans via aerosols. In Europe, the hantavirus species Puumala virus (PUUV), Dobrava virus (DOBV) and Seoul virus (SEOV) cause HFRS in humans. These viruses differ in their geographical distribution and course of infection. PUUV causes nephropathia epidemica (NE), a mild form of HFRS, which is generally not associated with major haemorrhagic symptoms and has a low case fatality rate of approximately 0.4% [6]. Saaremaa virus (SAAV), first isolated in Estonia and found in Russia, Slovenia and Germany, is genetically closely related to DOBV but causes a mild form of HFRS [8,9]. Other hantaviruses have been isolated in Germany, hantavirus infections in central Europe are generally caused by PUUV [10,11]

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