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Los Hantavirus I, Las Especies y La invasion de las Ratas.
The Hantavirus I, The Species and The Rats invasion.
UPDATED 2026
SOURCE: Euronews.com
NOTE: About of the recent REPORT of a HANTAVIRUS outbreak on a cruise ship that departed from ARGENTINA bound for GREEN CAPE and the CANARY ISLANDS, today I bring you an update to the first POST about this VIRUS, published in 2017. Were you familiar with it? Read on and you'll understand that not everything that KILLS is COVID-19. Coincidentally, I was and am preparing a post about BACTERIOLOGICAL and VIROLOGICAL wars, already published !!!
EDITORIAL ENGLISH
=================
Hello friends of the DERMAGIC EXPRESS
network today brings you a very interesting topic
THE HANTAVIRUS I, THE SPECIES AND
THE RATS INVASION,
rodent borne zoonotic disease, a topic related to the
aforementioned
BUNYAVIRIDAE FAMILY
virus. It is impressive the number of SPECIES found to date in relation to
these HANTAVIRUS, which are
practically spread throughout the globe, representing a
mortality of 10 to 36% in those affected.
Many of them are benign for the man, it means that it has not
been shown PATHOGENICITY or ability to produce disease in the
HUMAN, but some of them produce the so-called
HEMORRHAGIC FEVER WITH RENAL SYNDROME (HFRS)
or EPIDEMIC NEPHROPATHY
with a mortality of.10-12%
and
HANTAVIRUS PULMONARY OR CARDIOPULMONARY SYNDROME (HPS)
to which a
mortality has been described between 25-36% in some countries.
The name
HANTAVIRUS comes from the
HANTAN RIVER area in SOUTH KOREA, where it was discovered by scientists in the late 1970s by the
Korean virologist Ho-Wang Lee. And the American Karl M. Johnson.
Ho-Wang Lee described in Korea Seoul,
The SEOUL HANTAVIRUS (SEOV)
transmitted by rodents and causing the HEMORRHAGIC FEVER HANTAVIRUS WITH RENAL SYNDROME (HFRS) or EPIDEMIC NEPHROPATHY for the
first time in 1.976
The main carriers or reservoirs of these viruses are
RODENTS:
mice and rats through urine, saliva, fluids and feces
that are sprayed in the environment can infect you. In some cases bats
European mole, shrews. And European common vole are involved like
hosts,
but in the case of these two diseases that I mentioned the main
natural reservoirs are RODENTS.
The
HANTAVIRUS belong to the group
of VIRUS TYPE RNA, order:
NOT ASSIGNED, family BUNYAVIRIDAE,
genus:
HANTAVIRUS,
Type of species: HANTAAN VIRUS
with more than 50 SUBTYPES OR SPECIES
which I place here and the country where they were discovered or
described by first time.
I believe that you will be
astonished of the number of
HANTAVIRUS
SPECIES described until today 2026 !!!!
THE HANTA VIRUS SPECIES DESCRIBED UNTIL TODAY 2026
==================================================
1.) ANDES VIRUS: Argentina y Chile
y países vecinos; asociado al síndrome pulmonar por hantavirus (SPH/HPS).
Sus variantes sudamericanas relacionadas incluyen
ANAJATUBA VIRUS, BERMEJO VIRUS, JABORA VIRUS, LECHIGUANAS VIRUS,
MACIEL VIRUS, ORAN VIRUS, PERGAMINO VIRUS y RIO MEARIM VIRUS. (1.997-1998)
2.)
Amur virus:: Far East of Russia, China, and Korea. 2.002-2.004)
3.) Asama virus: Japan (2.008)
4.) Azagny virus::
west Africa (2012).
5.) Bayou virus:
Southeastern United States. (1944)
6.) BLACK CREEK CANAL VIRUS: Black Creek Canal area of Dade County, Florida in 1995.
7.)
BLOODLAND LAKE VIRUS: Pulaski County,
Missouri in 1994.
8.) BLUE RIVER VIRUS: Jackson County, Missouri in 1995.
9.) CANO DELGADITO VIRUS: Caño Delgadito virus is a
Hantavirus. It was discovered in the 1990s
from rodent species in Los Llanos in Venezuela.
10.) CALABAZO VIRUS: Central América on the Azuero
Peninsula of Panamá in early 2000.
11.) CARRIZAL VIRUS: Guerrero, Mexico. 2012
12.) CATACAMAS VIRUS: Honduras 2.006
13.) CHOCLO VIRUS: 1999 in Western Panama.
14.) DOBRAVA-BELGRADE VIRUS: Found in
Dobrava Village, Slovenia, Yugoslavia It was subsequently isolated in striped field mice in
Russia
and other parts of
Eastern Europe. It has also been
found in Germany but the reservoir host there is unknown.
15.) EL MORO CANYON VIRUS: El Moro Canyon
in southeastern Colorado in 1995.
16. Gou virus: Zhejiang Province in 2000. China
17.) HANTAAN RIVER VIRUS: Korea 1.976 date of war from years 1951-1.953 mortality 10-30%
18.) HUITZILAC VIRUS: Morelos and Guerrero, Mexico. 2.012
19.) IMJIN VIRUS: Republic of Korea during 2004 and 2005.
20.) ISLA VISTA VIRUS: Santa Barbara County, California 1.995
21.) KHABAROVSK VIRUS: Far-east Russia. 1.996
22.) LAGUNA NEGRA VIRUS: South America Brazil.
23.) LIMESTONE CANYON VIRUS:
The United States and South America.
24.) MAGBOI VIRUS: Magboi Stream in eastern Sierra Leone in 2011.
25.) MARIPA VIRUS: French Guiana 2.012
26.) MONONGAHELA VIRUS: Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia in 1985.
27.) MONTANO VIRUS: Morelos and Guerrero, Mexico. 2.012
28.) MOUYASSUE VIRUS: Sierra Leone 2.012, Bats, share lineage with MAGBOI VIRUS.
29.) MULESHOE VIRUS: Deaf Smith County, Texas in 1995.
30.) MUJU VIRUS: Republic of Korea. 2.007.
31.) NEW YORK VIRUS: New York 2.013.
32.) NOVA VIRUS: Hungary and France
2.014, no human infection has been discovered (European mole and
bats).
33.) ORAN VIRUS: South America related to ANDES VIRUS.
34.) OXBOW VIRUS: Gresham, Oregon, in September 2003.
35.) PLAYA DE ORO VIRUS: Mexican state of Colima, 2.004 - 2.008.
36.) PROSPECT HILL VIRUS: meadow vole found in Prospect Hill, Maryland
for which it is named. 1.982-1987
37.) PUUMALA VIRUS: in Scandinavia and Finland,
although it has also been reported elsewhere in Northern Europe, Poland and Russia, 1.980.
38.) ROCKPOR VIRUS: Rockport, Texas 2.011.
39.) RIO MAMORE VIRUS: Bolivia. 1.997.
40.) RIO SEGUNDO VIRUS: Costa Rica, Related with SIN NOMBRE VIRUS (nameless).
41.) SANGASSOU VIRUS: Guinea, West Africa in 2010, bat, moles, and shrews.
42.) SAAREMAA VIRUS:
Found in striped field mouse in Slovakia. 2.006.
43.) SEOUL VIRUS: Seoul Korea.
44.) SERANG VIRUS: Serang, Indonesia
in 2.008.
45.)
SIN NOMBRE VIRUS (no name): It was first isolated in 1.993
from rodents collected near the home of one of the initial patients
with HANTAVIRUS PULMONARY SYNDROME (HPS)
in the "Four Corners" region of the western United States.
46.) SOOCHONG VIRUS: Korea August 1997.
47.) TANGANYA VIRUS: Africa 2.007.
48.) THAILAND VIRUS: Thai provinces, Nakhon Pathom and Nakhon Ratchasima, in Thailand 1994.
49.) THOTTAPALAYAM VIRUS: India
in 1964.
50.) TOPOGRAFOV VIRUS:
Topografov River in the Taymyr Peninsula, Siberia. 1.996.
51.) TULA VIRUS: first isolated from a European common vole (Microtus arvalis) found in Central Russia 1994.
52.) XUAN SON VIRUS: Pomona Vietnam 2.013.
53.) SEEWIS VIRUS: Germany.
54.) ASIKKALA VIRUS: Germany.
55.) ARARAQUARA VIRUS: Brazil.
56.) JUQUITIBA VIRUS: Brazil, possibly a lineage related to the
ANDES/ARARAQUARA complex.
NOTE: THE VIRUSES: ANAJATUBA VIRUS, BERMEJO VIRUS, JABORA VIRUS, LECHIGUANAS VIRUS,
MACIEL VIRUS, ORAN VIRUS, PERGAMINO VIRUS, and RIO MEARIM VIRUS
are South American variants or
lineages phylogenetically related to
ANDES VIRUS; in
ARGENTINA, related variants such
as
LECHIGUANAS VIRUS, ORAN VIRUS,
and others have been found, but they are not always classified as
completely separate species. The strains of ANDES VIRUS are found mainly in
Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
Summarizing the countries involved so far are:
Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Honduras, Venezuela, Panama, United
States, Russia, China, Indonesia, Siberian, Thailand, Slovakia,
Germany, Hungary, France, Poland, Korea, Vietnam, India, Mexico, Costa
Rica, Scandinavia, Finland, Brazil, French Guiana, Japan, Africa and others
Other countries where species of
HANTAVIRUS have been found:
Holland, Bulgaria, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Paraguay, Uruguay, England, Wales, Belgium, Sweden,
Canada and Colombia.
It is estimated that in China
between 1950 and 2007
there were 1.5 million cases per HANTAVIRUS,
of which 46,000 died, in Russia
there were 90,000, cases from 1996 to 2006, in Finland 32,000, between 2005 and 2010.
In the United States up to January 2,017,
725 cases were reported, of
which
697 occurred in the first outbreak in 1993, USA HANTAVIRUS
mortality averaged 36%.
In French Guiana
between 2008 and 2016, 5 cases of
HANTAVIRUS PULMONARY SYNDROME (HPS)
were reported from the MARIPA VIRUS,
of which 4 died, 80% mortality.
In Argentina in
an outbreak of
20 cases of PULMONARY SYNDROME (HPS)
by HANTAVIRUS
in 1997 the HUMAN-HUMAN transmission was demonstrated by the virus ANDES (ANDV).
RECENT CASES IN SOUTH AMERICA:
Argentina had a major
outbreak in early 2019, with 28 cases and 14 deaths
in the first 20 days of January, which was a highly discussed event
because of its high fatality rate.
In 2025, Argentina again
showed a significant burden,
with 52 cases and 17 deaths, and official surveillance
indicated an increase compared with previous seasons.
Argentina in 2026,
May an outbreak of
HANTAVIRUS was reported on the cruise ship MV HONDIUS,
which departed from
Ushuaia, with 147 passengers of 20 nationalities,
causing at least three deaths. The WHO also reported that
there were additional suspected cases
a board and that medical evacuation of some passengers was being
coordinated.
MV HONDIUS CRUISE SHIP
SOURCE: Euronews.com
THE FACTS:
The ship was sailing across the Atlantic
bound for Cape Verde and then
to the Canary Islands when the
first symptoms appeared between
April 6 and April 28, 2026.
According to reports,
two of the victims died on board,
and the other was evacuated to South Africa and died in a hospital.
The WHO indicated that at least, at the beginning one case had been confirmed by laboratory for HANTAVIRUS, then 2 more, there were other suspected cases, patients
under strict observation, and
another in intensive care in South Africa.
Isolation, clinical care, medical evacuation, and laboratory testing
measures were taken.
By May 6, the WHO reported
that the number of cases on the MV HONDIUS
cruise ship,
with 147 passengers on board,
had risen to 8, of which 3 had already been confirmed
as HANTAVIRUS infections by
laboratory tests conducted in Switzerland and
South Africa.
The strain causing the outbreak
is under investigation, and it is believed to be a virus from the
BUNYAVIRIDAE
family of the
ANDES VIRUS complex (ANDV), which has 9 variants, as previously described. An outbreak of 20 cases
was reported in ARGENTINA in 1997,
confirming HUMAN to HUMAN transmission
and causing
HANTAVIRUS CARDIOPULMONARY SYNDROME (HPS), which can be fatal, with a
mortality rate ranging from 35% to 50-56%.
The strain of this ANDES VIRUS (ANDV) outbreak on the cruise ship and among the infected patients has not yet
been identified. The ship is off
Cape Verde
bound for the
Canary Islands, Spain.
Chile 2026: At the beginning of
the year,
Chile reported several serious cases of HANTAVIRUS, three of which
were confirmed and
resulted in death. Later, another
report indicated
14 cases and six deaths.
And here comes the following reflection:
HANTAVIRUS IS DISSEMINATED THROUGH
these rodents all over the
planet, some of them LETAL, in the next edition I
will talk about the
DISEASES, RODENTS and VIRUSES
involved. The link below.
HANTAVIRUS II, DISEASES AND RESERVOIRS. (Coming soon)
Greetings to all
Dr. José Lapenta.
Dr. José M. Lapenta
=======================================================================
REFERENCIAS BIBLIOGRÁFICAS
/ BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES
=======================================================================
=======================================================================
1.) Country-wide seroprevalence studies on Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever
and hantavirus
infections in general population of Bulgaria.
2.) Serological Survey of Zoonotic Viruses in Invasive and Native
Commensal Rodents in Senegal, West Africa.
3.) Seoul hantavirus in brown rats in the Netherlands: implications
for physicians--Epidemiology, clinical aspects, treatment and diagnostics.
4.) Co-circulation of Araraquara and Juquitiba Hantavirus in
Brazilian Cerrado.
5.) Serogrouping and seroepidemiology of North European hantaviruses
using a novel broadly targeted synthetic nucleoprotein antigen array.
6.) [Hantaviruses in Germany: threat for zoo, pet, companion and
farm animals?].
7.) Hantavirus infections in Europe and their impact on public
health.
8.) Detection of different South American hantaviruses.
9.) Spatial prediction and validation of zoonotic hazard through
micro-habitat properties: where does Puumala hantavirus hole - up?
10.) Hantaviruses and their hosts in Europe: reservoirs here and
there, but not everywhere?
11.) Habitat factors associated with bank voles (Clethrionomys
glareolus) and concomitant hantavirus in northern Sweden.
12.) [Increase in the number of cases of epidemic nephropathy in
Germany. Virological and
ecological aspects].
13.) A comparative epidemiological study of hantavirus infection in
Japan and Far East Russia.
14.) Puumala virus outbreak in Western Thuringia, Germany, 2010:
epidemiology and strain identification.
15.) Environmental conditions in favour of a hantavirus outbreak in
2015 in Germany?
16.) Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Caused by Maripa Virus in French
Guiana, 2008–2016.
17.) An unusual hantavirus outbreak in southern Argentina:
person-to-person transmission? Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Study Group
for Patagonia.
======================================================================
======================================================================
1.) Country-wide seroprevalence studies on Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic
fever and hantavirus
infections in general population of Bulgaria.
=======================================================================
J Med Virol. 2017 Oct;89(10):1720-1725. doi: 10.1002/jmv.24868. Epub
2017 Jul 6.
Christova I1, Panayotova E1, Trifonova I1, Taseva E1, Hristova T1,
Ivanova V1.
Author information
1
National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia,
Bulgaria.
Abstract
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) and hantavirus infections are
the two viral hemorrhagic fevers spread in Europe. To test actual
circulation of CCHF virus (CCHFV) and hantaviruses in Bulgaria, we
conducted country-wide seroepidemiological studies. Serum samples were
collected prospectively from 1500 residents of all 28 districts in
Bulgaria. CCHFV seroprevalence of 3.7% was revealed. Anamnesis for tick
bites, contact with livestock, age over 40 years and residency in Haskovo
district were found as risk factors. The highest CCHFV seroprevalence was
observed in the known endemic districts in southeastern Bulgaria: Haskovo
(28%) and Yambol (12%). Reactive samples were found in residents of 20 of
the 28 districts in Bulgaria. In comparison with the previous studies, the
data presented indicate that CCHFV increased substantially its circulation
in the endemic regions and was introduced in many new areas. Hantavirus
seroprevalence was based on results of the immunoblot and estimated as
3.1%. Surprisingly, contrary to all available data, Puumala virus
seroprevalence rate was 2.3% versus 0.8% of Dobrava-Belgrade virus.
Evidence for hantavirus IgG seropositivity was found in residents of 23 of
the 28 districts in the country. The first hantavirus seroprevalence study
in Bulgaria showed that Puumala virus is probably more wide-spread in the
country than Dobrava-Belgrade virus.
======================================================================
2.) Serological Survey of Zoonotic Viruses in Invasive and Native
Commensal Rodents in Senegal, West Africa.
=======================================================================
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2017 Sep 5. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2017.2135.
[Epub ahead of print]
Diagne CA1,2,3, Charbonnel N4, Henttonen H5, Sironen T6, Brouat C1.
Author information
1
1 CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, University of
Montpellier , Montpellier, France .
2
2 BIOPASS (IRD-CBGP, ISRA, UCAD), Dakar, Senegal .
3
3 Département de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences et
Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) , Dakar, Senegal .
4
4 CBGP, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, University of
Montpellier , Montpellier, France .
5
5 Forest and Animal Ecology, Natural Resources Institute Finland ,
Helsinki, Finland .
6
6 Department of Virology, University of Helsinki , Helsinki, Finland
.
Abstract
Increasing studies on rodent-borne diseases still highlight the
major role of rodents as reservoirs of numerous zoonoses of which the
frequency is likely to increase worldwide as a result of accelerated
anthropogenic changes, including biological invasions. Such a situation
makes pathogen detection in rodent populations important, especially in
the context of developing countries characterized by high infectious
disease burden. Here, we used indirect fluorescent antibody tests to
describe the circulation of potentially zoonotic viruses in both invasive
(Mus musculus domesticus and Rattus rattus) and native (Mastomys
erythroleucus and Mastomys natalensis) murine rodent populations in
Senegal (West Africa). Of the 672 rodents tested, we reported 22
seropositive tests for Hantavirus, Orthopoxvirus, and Mammarenavirus
genera, and no evidence of viral coinfection. This study is the first to
report serological detection of Orthopoxvirus in rodents from Senegal,
Mammarenavirus in R. rattus from Africa, and Hantavirus in M. m.
domesticus and in M. erythroleucus. Further specific identification of the
viral agents highlighted here is urgently needed for crucial public health
concerns.
======================================================================
3.) Seoul hantavirus in brown rats in the Netherlands: implications
for physicians--Epidemiology, clinical aspects, treatment and diagnostics.
=======================================================================
Neth J Med. 2015 May;73(4):155-60.
Goeijenbier M1, Verner-Carlsson J, van Gorp EC, Rockx B, Koopmans
MP, Lundkvist Å, van der Giessen JW, Reusken CB.
Author information
1
Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Abstract
The recent discovery of Seoul hantavirus (SEOV) presence in wild rat
populations in the Netherlands has direct implications for Dutch
clinicians and hantavirus diagnostics. SEOV is amongst the Old World
hantaviruses which cause haemorrhagic fever and renal syndrome (HFRS) in
humans. HFRS is characterised by a classical triad of fever, acute kidney
injury and haemorrhage, but can show different signs and symptoms in
specific cases. SEOV is transmitted from infected rats to humans by
inhalation of aerosolised excreta. When compared with the known
circulating hantaviruses in the Netherlands, Puumala (PUUV) and Tula
(TULV), SEOV causes a more severe form of HFRS. Data from cohort studies
undertaken in China and Northern Europe show differences in signs and
symptoms at onset of disease, (haemorrhagic) complications and mortality.
Furthermore, routine diagnostics currently available for hantavirus
diagnosis in the Netherlands are not optimised for SEOV detection. The
clinical outcome of an SEOV and PUUV infection will greatly benefit from
an early diagnosis which will reduce the costs of unnecessary tests and
treatments as well. The discovery of SEOV circulation in the Netherlands
follows recent findings of SEOV infections in both rodents and humans in
England, Wales, France, Belgium and Sweden, indicating the emerging
character of SEOV and a high importance of this hantavirus for Public
Health in large areas of Europe. Here, we review the current knowledge on
the clinical manifestation of SEOV versus PUUV infections in humans, the
treatment of clinical cases and diagnostics.
======================================================================
4.) Co-circulation of Araraquara and Juquitiba Hantavirus in
Brazilian Cerrado.
======================================================================
Microb Ecol. 2017 Aug 31. doi: 10.1007/s00248-017-1061-4. [Epub
ahead of print]
Guterres A1,2, de Oliveira RC3, Fernandes J3, Maia RM3, Teixeira
BR4, Oliveira FCG5, Bonvicino CR4,6, D'Andrea PS4, Schrago CG7, de Lemos
ERS8.
Author information
1
Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Pavilhão Helio e Peggy Pereira - 1° Pav. Sala B115,
Av. Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21045-900, Brazil.
guterres@ioc.fiocruz.br.
2
Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. guterres@ioc.fiocruz.br.
3
Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Pavilhão Helio e Peggy Pereira - 1° Pav. Sala B115,
Av. Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21045-900, Brazil.
4
Laboratorio de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres
Reservatórios, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de
Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
5
Centro Tecnológico de Engenharia LTDA, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
6
Instituto Nacional do Câncer - INCA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
7
Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
8
Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Pavilhão Helio e Peggy Pereira - 1° Pav. Sala B115,
Av. Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21045-900, Brazil.
elemos@ioc.fiocruz.br.
Abstract
Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome is an emerging serious disease
in the Americas, transmitted from wild rodents to humans through
inhalation of aerosol containing virus. Herein, we characterized two
distinct hantaviruses circulating in rodent species form Central Plateau,
Midwestern region of Brazil in the Cerrado (savanna-like) biome, an area
characterized by small trees and grasses adapted to climates with long dry
periods. In this study, we identified the co-circulation of the Araraquara
virus and a possible new lineage of the Juquitiba virus (JUQV) in
Oligoryzomys nigripes. The implications of co-circulation are still
unknown, but it can be the key for increasing viral diversity or emergence
of new species through spillover or host switching events leading to
co-infection and consequently recombination or reassortment between
different virus species. Phylogenetic analyses based on the complete S
segment indicated that, alongside with Oligoryzomys mattogrossae rodents,
O. nigripes species could also have a whole as JUQV reservoir in the
Cerrado biome. Although these rodents' species are common in the Cerrado
biome, they are not abundant demonstrating how complex and different
hantavirus enzootic cycles can be in this particular biome.
======================================================================
5.) Serogrouping and seroepidemiology of North European hantaviruses
using a novel broadly targeted synthetic nucleoprotein antigen array.
======================================================================
Infect Ecol Epidemiol. 2017 Jul 26;7(1):1350086. doi:
10.1080/20008686.2017.1350086. eCollection 2017.
Rönnberg B1,2,3, Vapalahti O4, Goeijenbier M5, Reusken C5,
Gustafsson Å3, Blomberg J1,2, Lundkvist Å1,2,3.
Author information
1
Section of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Medical Sciences,
Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
2
Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and
Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
3
Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Uppsala University Hospital,
Uppsala, Sweden.
4
Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Virology, University of
Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
5
Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract
Introduction: Hantaviruses are globally distributed zoonotic
pathogens. Great diversity and high antigenic cross-reactivity makes
diagnosis by traditional methods cumbersome. Materials and methods:
'Megapeptides', 119-120-mers from the amino terminus of the nucleoprotein
of 16 hantaviruses, representing the four major branches of the hantavirus
phylogenetic tree, were utilized in a novel IgG-based hantavirus
suspension multiplex immunoassay (HSMIA) for detection of past hantavirus
infections in 155 North European human samples. We compared HSMIA with
established EIAs and focus reduction neutralization test (FRNT). Results
and discussion: The Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) component in the HSMIA gave
concordant results with a PUUV IgG EIA in 142 sera from Northern Sweden
(of which 31 were EIA positive, 7 borderline and 104 EIA negative,
sensitivity 30/31 = 97%, specificity 104/ 104 = 100%, 134/135 = 99%
concordance), with another immunoassay in 40 PUUV IgG positive sera from
Finland (36/40 = 90% sensitivity), and was concordant in 8 of 11 cases
with PUUV and DOBV neutralization titers, respectively. Two major IgG
reactivity patterns were found: (i) a PUUV-specific pattern covering
phylogroup IV and its serogroups B and C; and (ii) a Dobrava virus
(DOBV)-specific pattern, covering the serogroup A portion of phylogroup
III. In addition, we found several minor patterns with reactivity to only
one or two megapeptides indicating additional hantaviruses infecting
humans in the Swedish and Finnish populations. Conclusion: The broadly
reactive and rational HSMIA yielded results highly correlated with the
established PUUV EIAs and the NT results. It is a sensitive and specific
assay, which will be suited for efficient serosurveillance of hantaviruses
in humans. Its use in animals should be further investigated.
======================================================================
6.) [Hantaviruses in Germany: threat for zoo, pet, companion and
farm animals?].
======================================================================
Berl Munch Tierarztl Wochenschr. 2013 Nov-Dec;126(11-12):514-26.
[Article in German]
Ulrich RG1, Imholt C2, Krüger DH3, Krautkrämer E2, Scheibe T4,
Essbauer SS5, Pfeffer M6.
Author information
1
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institut für neue und neuartige
Tierseuchenerreger, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Deutschland.
rainer.ulrich@fli.bund.de
2
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institut für neue und neuartige
Tierseuchenerreger, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Deutschland.
3
Nationales Konsiliarlaboratorium für Hantaviren, Institut für
Medizinische Virologie, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité - Universitätsmedizin
Berlin und Fachbereich Virologie, Labor Berlin Charité Vivantes GmbH.
4
Zoo Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Deutschland.
5
Institut für Mikrobiologie der Bundeswehr, München, Deutschland.
6
Institut fŭr Tierhygiene und Offentliches Veterinärwesen, Leipzig,
Deutschland.
Abstract
Hantaviruses are so-called "emerging" and "re-emerging" viruses
because of the new and sudden nature of their appearance. Human infections
can lead to two distinct disease patterns, the Haemorrhagic Fever with
Renal Syndrome and the Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome. All known
human pathogenic hantaviruses are transmitted through rodent hosts. There
are three rodent-associated hantaviruses in Germany. The bank
vole-associated Puumala virus (PUUV) is responsible for most of the human
hantavirus infections. The Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV) associated with
the striped field mouse is causing hantavirus disease in the North and
Northeast of Germany. The human pathogenicity of Tula virus (TULV) is
still controversially discussed--the virus has been mainly associated with
the common vole as the reservoir, but was molecularly detected also in the
field and the water vole. More recently, two shrew-borne hantaviruses were
described in Germany, i. e. Seewis virus in the common shrew and Asikkala
virus in the pygmy shrew. Systematic studies about hantavirus infections
of zoo, pet, companion and farm animals are still lacking. Hence, the aim
of this review article is to summarise the current knowledge on this topic
and raise the attention of veterinarians to potentially overlooked
clinical disease patterns.
======================================================================
7.) Hantavirus infections in Europe and their impact on public
health.
======================================================================
Rev Med Virol. 2013 Jan;23(1):35-49. doi: 10.1002/rmv.1722. Epub
2012 Jul 3.
Vaheri A1, Henttonen H, Voutilainen L, Mustonen J, Sironen T,
Vapalahti O.
Author information
1
Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, and Research Programs
Unit, Infection Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
antti.vaheri@helsinki.fi
Abstract
Hantaviruses (genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae) are enveloped
tri-segmented negative-stranded RNA viruses each carried by a specific
rodent or insectivore host species. Several different hantaviruses known
to infect humans circulate in Europe. The most common is Puumala (PUUV)
carried by the bank vole; another two important, genetically closely
related ones are Dobrava-Belgrade (DOBV) and Saaremaa viruses (SAAV)
carried by Apodemus mice (species names follow the International Committee
on Taxonomy of Viruses nomenclature). Of the two hantaviral diseases,
hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantaviral
cardiopulmonary syndrome, the European viruses cause only HFRS: DOBV with
often severe symptoms and a high case fatality rate, and PUUV and SAAV
more often mild disease. More than 10,000 HFRS cases are diagnosed
annually in Europe and in increasing numbers. Whether this is because of
increasing recognition by the medical community or due to environmental
factors such as climate change, or both, is not known. Nevertheless, in
large areas of Europe, the population has a considerable seroprevalence
but only relatively few HFRS cases are reported. Moreover, no
epidemiological data are available from many countries. We know now that
cardiac, pulmonary, ocular and hormonal disorders are, besides renal
changes, common during the acute stage of PUUV and DOBV infection. About
5% of hospitalized PUUV and 16%-48% of DOBV patients require dialysis and
some prolonged intensive-care treatment. Although PUUV-HFRS has a low case
fatality rate, complications and long-term hormonal, renal, and
cardiovascular consequences commonly occur. No vaccine or specific therapy
is in general use in Europe. We conclude that hantaviruses have a
significant impact on public health in Europe.
======================================================================
8.) Detection of different South American hantaviruses.
======================================================================
Guterres A1, de Oliveira RC2, Fernandes J2, Schrago CG3, de Lemos
ER2.
Author information
1
Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Departamento de
Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Electronic address: guterres@ioc.fiocruz.br.
2
Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
3
Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Abstract
Hantaviruses are the etiologic agents of Hemorrhagic Fever with
Renal Syndrome (HFRS) in Old World, and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
(HPS)/Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCPS), in the New World.
Serological methods are the most common approach used for laboratory
diagnosis of HCPS, however theses methods do not allow the
characterization of viral genotypes. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
has been extensively used for diagnosis of viral infections, including
those caused by hantaviruses, enabling detection of few target sequence
copies in the sample. However, most studies proposed methods of PCR with
species-specific primers. This study developed a simple and reliable
diagnostic system by RT-PCR for different hantavirus detection. Using new
primers set, we evaluated human and rodent hantavirus positive samples of
various regions from Brazil. Besides, we performed computational analyzes
to evaluate the detection of other South American hantaviruses. The
diagnostic system by PCR proved to be a sensible and simple assay,
allowing amplification of Juquitiba virus, Araraquara virus, Laguna Negra
virus, Rio Mamore virus and Jabora virus, beyond of the possibility of the
detecting Andes, Anajatuba, Bermejo, Choclo, Cano Delgadito, Lechiguanas,
Maciel, Oran, Pergamino and Rio Mearim viruses. The primers sets designed
in this study can detect hantaviruses from almost all known genetics
lineages in Brazil and from others South America countries and also
increases the possibility to detect new hantaviruses. These primers could
easily be used both in diagnosis of suspected hantavirus infections in
humans and also in studies with animals reservoirs.
======================================================================
9.) Spatial prediction and validation of zoonotic hazard through
micro-habitat properties: where does Puumala hantavirus hole - up?
======================================================================
BMC Infect Dis. 2017 Jul 26;17(1):523. doi:
10.1186/s12879-017-2618-z.
Khalil H1, Olsson G2, Magnusson M2, Evander M3, Hörnfeldt B2, Ecke
F2,4.
Author information
1
Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden.
Hussein.khalil@slu.se.
2
Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogmarksgränd, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden.
3
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Virology, Umeå University, 901
85, Umeå, Sweden.
4
Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of
Agricultural Sciences, Gerda Nilssons väg 5, 756 51, Uppsala, Sweden.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
To predict the risk of infectious diseases originating in wildlife,
it is important to identify habitats that allow the co-occurrence of
pathogens and their hosts. Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) is a
directly-transmitted RNA virus that causes hemorrhagic fever in humans,
and is carried and transmitted by the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). In
northern Sweden, bank voles undergo 3-4 year population cycles, during
which their spatial distribution varies greatly.
METHODS:
We used boosted regression trees; a technique inspired by machine
learning, on a 10 - year time-series (fall 2003-2013) to develop a spatial
predictive model assessing seasonal PUUV hazard using micro-habitat
variables in a landscape heavily modified by forestry. We validated the
models in an independent study area approx. 200 km away by predicting
seasonal presence of infected bank voles in a five-year-period (2007-2010
and 2015).
RESULTS:
The distribution of PUUV-infected voles varied seasonally and
inter-annually. In spring, micro-habitat variables related to cover and
food availability in forests predicted both bank vole and infected bank
vole presence. In fall, the presence of PUUV-infected voles was generally
restricted to spruce forests where cover was abundant, despite the broad
landscape distribution of bank voles in general. We hypothesize that the
discrepancy in distribution between infected and uninfected hosts in fall,
was related to higher survival of PUUV and/or PUUV-infected voles in the
environment, especially where cover is plentiful.
CONCLUSIONS:
Moist and mesic old spruce forests, with abundant cover such as
large holes and bilberry shrubs, also providing food, were most likely to
harbor infected bank voles. The models developed using long-term and
spatially extensive data can be extrapolated to other areas in northern
Fennoscandia. To predict the hazard of directly transmitted zoonoses in
areas with unknown risk status, models based on micro-habitat variables
and developed through machine learning techniques in well-studied systems,
could be used.
======================================================================
10.) Hantaviruses and their hosts in Europe: reservoirs here and
there, but not everywhere?
======================================================================
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2010 Aug;10(6):549-61. doi:
10.1089/vbz.2009.0138.
Olsson GE1, Leirs H, Henttonen H.
Author information
1
Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden. gert.olsson@vfm.slu.se
Abstract
Five hantaviruses are known to circulate among rodents in Europe,
and at least two among insectivores. Four (Dobrava, Saaremaa, Seoul, and
Puumala [PUUV] viruses) are clearly associated with hemorrhagic fever with
renal syndrome (HFRS). PUUV, the most common etiological agent of HFRS in
Europe, is carried by the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), one of the most
widespread and abundant mammal species in Europe. This host-virus system
is among hantaviruses also the most studied one in Europe. However, HFRS
incidence varies throughout the continent. The spatial as well as temporal
variation in the occurrence of HFRS is linked to geographic differences in
the population dynamics of the reservoir rodents in different biomes of
Europe. While rodent abundance may follow mast seeding events in many
parts of temperate Europe, in northern (N) Europe multiannual cycles in
population density exist as the result of the interaction between rodent
populations and specialist predator populations in a delayed
density-dependent manner. The spatial distribution of hantaviruses further
depends on parameters such as forest patch size and connectivity of the
most suitable rodent habitats, and the conditions for the survival of the
virus outside the host, as well as historical distribution patterns
(phylogeographies) of hosts and viruses. In multiannually fluctuating
populations of rodents, with population increases of great amplitude, one
should expect a simultaneous build-up of recently hantavirus-infected
(shedding) rodents. The increasing number of infectious, virus-shedding
rodents leads to a rapid transmission of hantavirus across the rodent
population, and to humans. Our review discusses these aspects for PUUV,
the only European hantavirus for which there is a reasonable, yet still
far from complete, ecological continental-wide understanding. We discuss
how this information could translate to other European hantavirus-host
systems, and where the most important questions lie for further research.
======================================================================
11.) Habitat factors associated with bank voles (Clethrionomys
glareolus) and concomitant hantavirus in northern Sweden.
======================================================================
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2005 Winter;5(4):315-23.
Olsson GE1, White N, Hjältén J, Ahlm C.
Author information
1
Department of Animal Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences, Umeå, Sweden. Gert.Olsson@smi.ki.se
Abstract
Puumala virus (PUUV), genus hantavirus, causes nephropathia
epidemica, a mild form of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in humans.
In this study, bank voles, the natural reservoir of PUUV, were captured at
locations of previous human PUUV exposure and paired controls within a
region of high incidence in northern Sweden. The aim of the study was to
evaluate the influence of environmental factors on the abundance of bank
voles and the occurrence of PUUV. The total number of voles and the number
of PUUV-infected voles did not differ between locations of previous human
PUUV exposure and paired controls. The number of bank voles expressing
antibodies to PUUV infection increased linearly with total bank vole
abundance implying density independent transmission. Using principal
component and partial correlation analysis, we found that particular
environmental characteristics associated with old-growth moist forests
(i.e., those dominated by Alectoria spp., Picea abies, fallen wood, and
Vaccinium myrtillus) were also associated with increased abundance of bank
vole and hence the number of PUUV-infected bank voles, whereas there were
no correlations with factors associated with dry environments (i.e., Pinus
sylvestris and V. vitis-idea). This suggests that circulation and
persistence of PUUV within bank vole populations was influenced by habitat
factors. Future modeling of risk of exposure to hantavirus and
transmission of PUUV within vole populations should include the influence
of these factors.
======================================================================
12.) [Increase in the number of cases of epidemic nephropathy in
Germany. Virological and
ecological aspects].
======================================================================
Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2008 Mar;133(10):476-8. doi:
10.1055/s-2008-1046736.
[Article in German]
Krautkrämer E1, Zeier M.
Author information
1
Nephrologie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld
162, 69120 Heidelberg. ellen_krautrkaemer@med.uni-heidelberg.de
Abstract
Epidemic nephropathy (EN) is transmitted to humans via rodents. The
causative agent of this virus-borne renal disease is the Hantavirus
Puumala. Other members of the genus Hantavirus cause hemorrhagic fever
with renal syndrome (HFRS) or hantaviral pulmonary syndrome (HPS). As with
all zoonoses the prevalence of the virus depends on the distribution of
the reservoir species. Climate changes have direct impact on the number of
host animals and influence the incidence of hantaviral infections. A
number of studies demonstrate the epidemiological relationship between
climate, food supply, rodent population and outbreaks of HFRS and HPS. In
Germany the number of cases of EN has increased in the past few years and
huge rise in the incidence of the infection, more than 1600 cases,
occurred in 2007.
======================================================================
13.) A comparative epidemiological study of hantavirus infection in
Japan and Far East Russia.
======================================================================
Jpn J Vet Res. 2007 Feb;54(4):145-61.
Kariwa H1, Lokugamage K, Lokugamage N, Miyamoto H, Yoshii K,
Nakauchi M, Yoshimatsu K, Arikawa J, Ivanov LI, Iwasaki T, Takashima I.
Author information
1
Laboratory of Public Health, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine,
Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. kariwa@vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp
Abstract
Hantaviruses are causative agents of some severe human illnesses,
including hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus
pulmonary syndrome (HPS). The viruses are maintained by rodent hosts, and
humans acquire infection by inhaling virus-contaminated excreta from
infected animals. To examine the epidemiology of hantavirus infections in
Japan and Far East Russia, we conducted epidemiological surveys in these
regions. In Japan, anti-hantavirus antibodies were found in four rodent
species, Clethrionomys rufocanus, Rattus norvegicus, R. rattus, and
Apodemus speciosus. Although no new HFRS cases have been officially
reported over the past 20 years in Japan, one member of the Japan Ground
Self-Defense Force did test positive for hantavirus antibody. Repeated
surveys in Far East Russia have revealed that two distinct hantavirus
types cause severe HFRS in this region. Hantavirus sequences identified
from A. peninsulae, fetal HFRS cases in Vladivostok, and Amur virus are
highly similar to each other (> 92% identity), but they are less
similar (approximately 84% identity) to the prototypical Hantaan virus,
which is carried by A. agrarius. Phylogenetic analysis also indicates that
Amur and A. peninsulae-associated viruses are distinct from Hantaan virus,
suggesting that A. peninsulae is the reservoir animal for Amur virus,
which causes severe HFRS. From HFRS patients in the Khabarovsk region, we
identified viruses with nucleotide sequences that are more similar to Far
East virus (> 96%identity) than to the Hantaan (88-89% identity) or
Amur (81-83% identity) viruses. Phylogenetic analysis also indicates that
the viruses from Khabarovsk HFRS patients are closely related to the Far
East virus, and distinct from Amur virus.
======================================================================
14.) Puumala virus outbreak in Western Thuringia, Germany, 2010:
epidemiology and strain identification.
======================================================================
Zoonoses Public Health. 2013 Dec;60(8):549-54. doi:
10.1111/zph.12037. Epub 2013 Feb 8.
Faber M1, Wollny T, Schlegel M, Wanka KM, Thiel J, Frank C, Rimek D,
Ulrich RG, Stark K.
Author information
1
Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch
Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Abstract
In 2010, the highest annual number of human Puumala virus (PUUV)
infections was reported in Germany since hantavirus surveillance started
in 2001. The increase in annual case numbers was especially marked in
western Thuringia. We combined results of case-based hantavirus
surveillance in humans and serological and molecular investigations in the
rodent reservoir to describe the epidemiological situation and to identify
the putative outbreak strain. A 5-fold increase in notified hantavirus
cases compared to the previous annual maximum was observed in western
Thuringia in 2010. Disease incidence varied tremendously within a small
geographical area with case patients' places of residence clustering
around beech-dominated broad leaf forest patches. Investigations in the
rodent reservoir revealed a novel Puumala virus (PUUV) subtype, which is
clearly distinct from strains collected in other PUUV endemic regions of
Germany. It can be assumed that in regions in western Thuringia where
hantavirus cases occurred in 2010 or previous outbreak years, PUUV has
been present in the environment for a long time. Further studies are
needed to elucidate the population dynamics and hantavirus prevalence of
the rodent reservoir and driving ecological factors.
======================================================================
15.) Environmental conditions in favour of a hantavirus outbreak in
2015 in Germany?
=======================================================================
Zoonoses Public Health. 2016 Mar;63(2):83-8. doi: 10.1111/zph.12217.
Epub 2015 Jul 15.
Reil D1,2, Imholt C1, Drewes S3, Ulrich RG3, Eccard JA2, Jacob J1.
Author information
1
Julius Kühn-Institute, Institute for Plant Protection in
Horticulture and Forests, Münster, Germany.
2
University of Potsdam, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology,
Potsdam, Germany.
3
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute for Novel and Emerging
Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.
Abstract
Bank voles can harbour Puumala virus (PUUV) and vole populations
usually peak in years after beech mast. A beech mast occurred in 2014 and
a predictive model indicates high vole abundance in 2015. This pattern is
similar to the years 2009/2011 when beech mast occurred, bank voles
multiplied and human PUUV infections increased a year later. Given similar
environmental conditions in 2014/2015, increased risk of human PUUV
infections in 2015 is likely. Risk management measures are recommended.
================================================================
16.) Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Caused by Maripa Virus in French
Guiana, 2008–2016
===============================================================
S. Matheus et al.
View Abstract
We report 5 human cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome found
during surveillance in French Guiana in 2008–2016; of the 5 patients, 4
died. This pathogen should continue to be monitored in humans and rodents
in effort to reduce the occurrence of these lethal l infections in humans
stemming from ecosystem disturbances.
==================================================================
17.) An unusual hantavirus outbreak in southern Argentina:
person-to-person transmission? Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Study Group
for Patagonia.
=================================================================
Emerg Infect Dis. 1997 Apr-Jun;3(2):171-4.
Wells RM1, Sosa Estani S, Yadon ZE, Enria D, Padula P, Pini N, Mills
JN, Peters CJ, Segura EL.
Author information
1
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Abstract
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a rodent-borne zoonosis first
recognized in the United States in 1993. Person-to-person transmission has
not been reported; however, in the outbreak of 20 cases reported here,
epidemiologic evidence strongly suggests this route of transmission.
========================================================================
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