Epidemiology of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in France.

French hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is due to the puumala v irus, one of the Hantaviruses. The rodent Clethrionomys glareolus is presen t throughout the whole country. Human cases are collected in the northeast quarter of France, with an epidemic foci in the Ardennes area (30-40% of th e cases). Cyclic variations occur every third year in humans, following pre valence in small rodents (bank voles). Human activities tin forested and ru ral areas) permit contacts with infected rodents and contamination probably through inhalation of viral particles. In the Ardennes area seven human st udies have been undertaken since 1993; one study on the bank vole has been conducted since 1997 Some answers have been found but further studies are n eeded fora better under standing of this disease. (C) 2001 Editions scienti fiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.