Epidemiology of hanta viruses in Baden-Wuerttemberg

Hantavirus, originally named after the Hantaan River in Korea, is the aetio logic agent for the Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrom (HFRS) in the asia n region, in the Americas for the Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrom (HPS). In Mi ddle Europe hantaviruses are responsible for the "Nephropathia Epidemica" ( NE), a mild form of HFRS. Hantaviruses belong to the family of Bunyaviridae . Like other members of this family their genome consists of three segments of single stranded RNA (ss-RNA) leading to various subtypes, strongly asso ciated with different rodent hosts. There are two major groups, the hantaan lineage harbored by murine rodents and the Puumala lineage harbored by arv icolidae ("old world") and sigmodontidae ("new world"). Infected rodents ma y develop chronic infections for months or even life-long and may shed infe ctious virus with urine and feces. The primary mode of infection of man occ urs by inhaling contaminated aerosols or soil particles. The collection of epidemiologic data in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg was realized in three different steps: Collection and localisation of clinical cases (n = 62): A concentration of clinical cases in the middle of the state was found. The e xamination of the seroprevalence of exposed persons: By the examination of 4000 sera from forest workers, a seroprevalence with an average of 2,1% was found. In the districts of Reutlingen and Tubingen seroprevalences up to 9 % were found. This leads to the assumption that there are endemic areas. Ep idemiologic studies of reservoir hosts: Serologic surveys of rodents (n = 1 150) in the described areas yielded to a seroprevalence up to 10-30%. Virus carriers were determined with RT-PCR and nested-PCR testings. The prevalen ce in the rodent population showed an average of 10%. The isolated subtypes were all identified as members of the Puumala-lineage. The origin of spora dic infections with Hantavirus of the Hantaan-lineage ire Baden-Wuerttember g is still unknown.