Serosurvey of hantavirus infection in humans in the border region between Brazil and Argentina Estudo sorológico de infecção por hantavírus em humanos na região de fronteira, entre Brasil e Argentina

• Main Authors: William Marciel de Souza, Alex Martins Machado, Luiz Tadeu Moraes Figueiredo, Everton Boff
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2011
• Subjects: Hantavírus; Soroprevalência de hantavirose em Santa Catarina; Morbidade; Hantavirus; Seroprevalence in Santa Catarina; Morbidity; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic; Argentina; Paraíso
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/d44d8992fc38432b82e56e192191b564

INTRODUCTION: According to reports by the Ministry of Health, in the far western region of the State of Santa Catarina, there have been no reports of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a zoonotic disease transmitted by feces of infected rodents. A seroepidemiological study of residents of this region, was conducted, with the aim of determining the presence of hantavirus infections. A total of 340 volunteers of both genus, from the towns of Belmonte and Paraíso, were studied. METHODS: The serum of these patients was collected and used to detect IgG antibodies against recombinant N protein of Araraquara hantavirus, by ELISA assay. The positive samples were then titrated and confirmed by immunofluorescence assay. RESULTS: This study demonstrated the presence of IgG antibodies against hantavirus N protein in 3.5% of the population. The most frequent occupation was farm worker, 81% had direct and indirect contact with rodents, 91.7% of positive cases were farm workers, indicating that the probable cause of infection occurred during barn cleaning. These antibodies are noteworthy, given that the levels of antibodies were verified in individuals whose contact with hantavirus may have occurred many years ago. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the circulation of hantavirus in the region, a fact that until now, had not reported. All the serum reagents had contact with the pathogen, but did not develop pulmonary and cardiovascular syndrome. It is important to remain alert, because hantavirus is a serious and emerging disease of some relevance. INTRODUÇÃO: De acordo com relatórios do Ministério da Saúde, na região do extremo oeste do Estado de Santa Catarina, não há relatos de síndrome pulmonar por hantavírus, doença zoonótica transmitida por excretas de roedores contaminados. Com a finalidade de demosntrar a infecção por hantavírus, um estudo soroepidemiológico de moradores da região foi realizado. Assim, foi estudado um total de 340 voluntários de ambos os gêneros, dos municípios de Belmonte e Paraíso. MÉTODOS: O soro destes ...