SEROLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF HANTAVIRUS DISEASE IN NORTHERN-IRELAND

Since, to our knowledge, no clinically documented cases of haemorrhagi c fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) have been reported in Northern Irel and, a sero-epidemiological study was carried out to assess the degree of Hantavirus immunity in a group of 627 Northern Irish patients pres enting with symptoms suggestive of HFRS and 100 healthy controls. IFA screening for IgG Hantavirus specific antibodies was carried out with a panel of up to 9 different Hantaviral antigens. IgM screening was pe rformed using a commercially available mu-capture ELlSA based upon two recombinant Hantaviral nucleocapsid antigens. A seropositivity of 2.1 % (15/727) was recorded, with an almost exclusive reaction against a r at-derived R22VP30 strain of the Seoul serotype. Sole reliance upon no n-rat-derived classic screening antigens Hantaan (HTN 76-118) and Puum ala (CG 18-20) would have resulted in the detection of only 2/15 (13.3 %) of cases in IgG IFA, and 8/14 (57.1%) of the cases in IgM ELISA. Th e findings indicate that for the first time in Europe, and more specif ically in N. ireland, nonlaboratory outbreaks of HFRS may be caused by wild rats acting as a reservoir for a Seoul-like Hantavirus. Conventi onal Hantavirus serology using Hantaan and Puumala as screening antige ns does not appear sufficient for the detection of such cases of HERS. Hence, we propose the addition of a rat derived Hantaviral antigen to the antigen screening panel as a means of improving the specificity o f the detection methods. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.