HANTAVIRUS INFECTION IN SPAIN - SEROEPIDE MIOLOGIC STUDY IN THE PROVINCE OF SORIA

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present was to study the seroprevalence of Hantavirus infection in the province of Soria, Spain, METHODS: Total s pecific antibodies against Hantavirus (Hantaan and Puumala virus) were studied by indirect immunofluorescence in 537 sera (251 males and 286 females) of a population from the province of Soria, distributed prop ortionally to the number of inhabitants from the health care areas, Th e age range of the population was from 1 to 95 years, the group mode r anging between 25 to 30 years and with a mean age of 36.4 years, The s era with antibody titers equal to or higher than 1/32 were considered as positive, RESULTS: Significant titers of antibodies against Hantaan or Puumala virus were detected in 2.2% of the total of sera studied ( 12 positive sera); 1.75% in women (5/286) and 2.8% in men (7/251), Of these 12 positive sera, 8 reacted against both virus (1.5%-8/537), 3 e xclusively to Puumala and 1 only to Hantaan. Seroprevalence against Pu umala was 2% (11/537) and 1.7% against Hantaan (9/537), The age of the subjects with positive sera ranged from 3 to 73 years with a mean of 33.8 years with higher prevalence in the group from 30 to 40 years of age (4.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirm the existen ce of infection by Hantavirus in Spain.