First Evidence of Hantavirus in Central Iran as an Emerging Viral Disease

Abstract

Hantavirus is a zoonosis transmitted from rodents to humans. Asymptomatic infected rodents can secrete hantaviruses in the urine, feces, and saliva. The main route of infection transmission to human is aerosols contaminated with the virus. This study was designed to evaluate the serological and molecular prevalence of hantavirus as an emerging zoonoses disease among street sweepers in Isfahan province, central Iran. Serum samples from 200 street sweepers in healthy condition and those with recent renal failure were tested by ELISA (IgM and IgG). Molecular analysis was subsequently applied for IgM positive cases. From these samples, 9 (4.5%) were positive, of which 2 (22.22%) were positive for both IgM and RT-PCR, while 7 (77.77%) were positive for IgG. The mean age and work experience of the positive cases were 39.7 and 11.5 respectively. According to our observations, all positive cases reported prevalence of rodents in their work place. The logistic regression test showed that the age and work experience were not risk factors for being positive, but prevalence of rodents in work place was a risk factor for being positive, when compared with negative cases. This is the first comprehensive study on the prevalence of hantavirus with positive results coming from Iranian population, which can raise the public awareness for the hantavirus infections as a public health threat.

A Space-Time Study of Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) and Its Climatic Associations in Heilongjiang Province, China

“…In China, the Hantaan and Seoul viruses dominate HFRS infection, the leading rodent hosts of which are Apodemus agrarius and Rattus norvegicus, respectively [1,2]. The virus is transmitted from rodents to humans via inhalation of aerosols contaminated by rodents' urine, saliva, excreta, and dung, possibly through ingestion of contaminated food and by direct contact of contaminated materials with broken skin or mucous membranes, or by rodent bites [3,4]. Clinical HFRS manifestations include fever, headache, nausea, and abdominal pain.…”

Hantavirus infection in Iranian patients suspected to viral hemorrhagic fever

“…The evidence of Hantavirus circulation in Iran has been indicated in two earlier studies by Svedmyr et al and Chinikar et al Using indirect immunofluorescence assay, Svedmyr et al detected antibodies against Hantaan virus in human sera from Iran. In the other study, 200 sera from street sweepers in Isfahan province (central Iran) were tested by the same ELISA kits used in the present study.…”

“…They found the IgM and IgG antibodies against Hantavirus in two and seven cases, respectively. Two sera were positive for RT‐PCR, but neither sequencing nor serotyping were conducted to determine the species of the virus . In contrast, in the present study, we utilized the EUROLINE Anti‐Hanta Virus Profile Global kits to further determine the Hantavirus species.…”

“…Previous reports indicating Hantavirus infection in Iran date back to 1982 and 2014 . The present study provides an update on the prevalence of Hantaviruses in Iran, by investigating viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) suspected patients presenting the symptoms of Hantavirus‐related diseases.…”

The Impacts of Climatic Factors and Vegetation on Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome Transmission in China: A Study of 109 Counties

“…The major causative agents of HFRS in China are Hantaan orthohantavirus and Seoul orthohantavirus, which are associated with Apodemus agrarius and Rattus norvegicus as their hosts, respectively. It is reported that farmers, soldiers, and rural residents are at higher risk for hantaviruses because of the large population of rodent hosts in their surroundings and their sub-standard housing conditions [3,4]. Humans can be infected through virus contaminated aerosols, foods, or other materials and rodents bites [5,6].…”