Seroprevalence of hantavirus antibodies in Germany as determined by a new recombinant enzyme immunoassay

Abstract

In order to elucidate the epidemiological importance of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Germany, the prevalence of antibodies against hantaviruses was determined in 13,358 sera from residents of various geographic regions, 1,284 sera from occupational risk groups and 287 sera from chronic hemodialysis patients. Serological investigations were performed using a highly specific transferable solid phase enzyme immunoassay based on the recombinant nucleocapsid proteins of a Hantaan and a Puumala serotype strain. The overall antibody prevalence was found to be 1.68%. In the serum panels from western and southern Germany, it was determined to be 1.83% on average in contrast to only 0.8% in the panel from eastern Germany. An endemic focus revealing an antibody prevalence of 3.12% was detected in a low-mountain area called Suebian Alb, which is located in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Occupational risk groups and a group of chronic hemodialysis patients showed a significantly elevated antibody prevalence ranging from 3.3% to 10%. The Puumala serotype was found to be the prevailing virus, but the percentage of sera predominantly recognizing the Hantaan nucleocapsid protein increased towards the south and the east and was significantly elevated in dialysis patients.

Seroprevalence of hantaviruses andLeptospirain muskrat and coypu trappers in the Netherlands, 2016

“…The present seroprevalence of PUUV (0.4%; 95%CI 0.1–2.3%) is comparable to the seroprevalence estimated in the Dutch (1.7%; 95%CI 1.3–2.3%), Belgian (1.5%) and German (1–3%) general population [14–16]. The only orthohantavirus found in our study was identified as PUUV which is believed to cause the majority of human orthohantavirus infections in the Netherlands [14], and is associated with bank voles ( Myodes glareolus ).…”

Verbreitung von Hantavirusinfektionen in Deutschland

“…In einer ersten großen Seroprävalenzstudie untersuchten Zöller et al [34] [10]. In Skandinavien haben epidemiologische Untersuchungen einen Anstieg der Rötelmaus-Populationsgröße in einem mehrjährigen Zyklus gezeigt, der mit der Häufigkeit von NE-Fällen korreliert [11].…”

“…Serologische Untersuchungen legten nahe, dass in Deutschland Infektionen mit PUUV-und HTNV-verwandten Hantaviren vorkommen [34]. In Übereinstim-mung damit wurde bei über 90% der an das RKI gemeldeten Hantavirusinfektionen PUUV als Erreger angegeben.…”

“…Bereits Anfang der 90er-Jahre wurden Endemiegebiete für Hantavirusinfektionen in Süd-und Südwestdeutschland, insbesondere in Baden-Württemberg und Bayern, beschrieben [34,39]. In Überein-stimmung damit war eine deutlich höhe-re Seroprävalenz in den Regionen Reutlingen (3,12%), Göppingen (2,09%) und Würzburg (1,92%) beobachtet worden [34].…”

“…In Überein-stimmung damit war eine deutlich höhe-re Seroprävalenz in den Regionen Reutlingen (3,12%), Göppingen (2,09%) und Würzburg (1,92%) beobachtet worden [34]. Auch in der Region Ulm konnten gehäuft klinisch apparente Hantavirusinfektionen gefunden werden [32a, 40].…”