SEROLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF HANTAAN VIRUS IN SLOVAKIA DURING 1989-1991

Nephropathia epidemica was supossed to be an European form of haemorrh agic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). However, in 1989 - 1991 we foun d serological evidence of infection with Hantaan virus in patients' se ra from Slovakia. Higher titers of antibodies against Hantaan virus we re detected in sera of 6 out of 75 patients with febrile disease, rena l failure and clinical diagnosis of HFRS. The higher titers of antibod ies against Puumala virus were detected in sera of 6 out of 75 patient s. Serologic differentiation between Hantaan and Puumala infection in patients was based on the detection of higher antibody titers (4-fold or greater differences).