SURVEILLANCE OF ANTI-HANTAVIRUS ANTIBODIES AMONG CERTAIN HIGH-RISK GROUPS IN TAIWAN

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is a serious health concern in n eighboring countries of Taiwan, such as mainland China and Korea. In T aiwan, only two suspected cases were recorded before 1994. The first c onfirmed case was reported in 1995, but this proved to be imported. To study hantavirus infection in Taiwan, we tested blood collected from garbage collectors, animal handlers, patients with febrile illness of unknown origin, and field rats, the host of hantavirus, for the presen ce of antibody against hantavirus using an indirect immunofluorescent antibody technique. The positive rates were 1.55% (3/193), 3.45% (1/29 ), 1.42% (3/211), and 5.56% (9/162), respectively. The subtypes of han tavirus involved were either Hantaan-like or Seoul-like. These results showed that hantavirus may have already invaded Taiwan without our kn owledge and physicians should be aware of this.