A five-year perspective on the situation of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and status of the hantavirus reservoirs in Europe, 2005-2010

Abstract

Hantavirus infections are reported from many countries in Europe and with highly variable annual case numbers. In 2010, more than 2,000 human cases were reported in Germany, and numbers above the baseline have also been registered in other European countries. Depending on the virus type human infections are characterised by mild to severe forms of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. The member laboratories of the European Network for diagnostics of Imported Viral Diseases present here an overview of the progression of human cases in the period from 2005 to 2010. Further we provide an update on the available diagnostic methods and endemic regions in their countries, with an emphasis on occurring virus types and reservoirs.

Hantavirus infection: a global zoonotic challenge

“…Finland has recorded the highest number of HFRS cases in the European Union (Heyman et al, 2011). The first case of NE in Switzerland was reported in 2008 (Fontana-Binard et al, 2008), and the first molecular evidence of PUUV infection was discovered in Poland in 2014 (Ali et al, 2014).…”

“…Over 3,000 HFRS cases are diagnosed annually in Europe (excluding an additional 5,000-10,000 cases annually in Russia) and this number continues to increase steadily (Heyman et al, 2011). In Northern Europe, human HFRS epidemics have a cycle of 3-4 years, as the rodent population changes.…”

Seroprevalence of hantavirus infections in Switzerland in 2009: difficulties in determining prevalence in a country with low endemicity

“…An increase in HFRS due to PUUV infection was observed in 2005,2007 and 2010 in distinct regions of Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France and Germany [4]. Some of the most affected regions were located close to the Swiss border [11,12].…”

“…These viruses differ in their geographical distribution and course of infection. PUUV is predominantly present in the European region of Russia (7,000 cases per year), Scandinavia (1,000-3,000 cases per year) and central Europe (300-3,000 cases per year) and to a lesser extent in the eastern part of Europe (Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia) [3][4][5]. PUUV causes nephropathia epidemica (NE), a mild form of HFRS, which is generally not associated with major haemorrhagic symptoms and has a low case fatality rate of approximately 0.4% [6].…”

The broad spectrum of hantaviruses and their hosts in Central Europe

“…Of the Central European countries, the following numbers of HFRS cases per year were reported between 2005 and 2009 (minimum-maximum); Austria 12-78 cases / Czech Republic 2-7 cases / Germany 72-1,688 cases / Hungary 6-16 cases / Poland 3-17 cases / Slovakia 3-22 cases / Switzerland 0-1 case (Heyman et al, 2011). However, one can expect serious underreporting since in many clinical cases, doctors are not aware of this disease and do not initiate specific virological diagnostics.…”