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Hantaviruses in Estonia.

Irina Golovljova1, Katarina Brus Sjölander, Gunnel Lindegren

  • 1Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Tallinn, Estonia.

Journal of Medical Virology
|October 12, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Hantavirus infections, including Puumala (PUUV) and Saaremaa (SAAV) viruses, are prevalent in Estonia, affecting 9.1% of the human population and circulating in rodents. Further research is needed to identify potential unknown hantavirus serotypes.

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Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Virology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Hantavirus infections pose a significant public health concern globally.
  • Estonia's geographical location and rodent populations suggest potential for hantavirus circulation.
  • Previous data on hantavirus seroprevalence in Estonia is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the seroprevalence and distribution of hantavirus infections in the human population of Estonia.
  • To identify hantavirus reservoirs in rodent populations.
  • To characterize circulating hantavirus genotypes and their geographical distribution.

Main Methods:

  • Screening of 1,234 human serum samples using ELISA for hantavirus-specific IgG.
  • Serotyping of positive samples using focus reduction neutralization tests against Puumala (PUUV), Saaremaa (SAAV), Dobrava (DOBV), Hantaan, and Seoul viruses.

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  • Detection of hantavirus antigen in 513 rodents of seven species and subsequent sequence analysis of viral RNA from positive samples.

    • Main Results:

    • Overall hantavirus seroprevalence in humans was 9.1%, with 112 out of 124 positive samples neutralized.
    • Puumala virus (PUUV) was the most common serotype (5.1%), followed by Saaremaa virus (SAAV) or SAAV/Dobrava virus (DOBV) (3.4%).
    • Hantavirus infections were detected in 13 out of 14 counties, with significant variation in prevalence rates (1.0-28.4%).
    • Rodent investigations identified PUUV in Clethrionomys glareolus and SAAV in Apodemus agrarius.
    • Phylogenetic analysis of Estonian PUUV strains indicated a common evolutionary history with Russian strains.

    Conclusions:

    • Hantavirus infections, primarily caused by PUUV and SAAV, are common in Estonia, with a notable human seroprevalence rate.
    • The study identified key rodent reservoirs and confirmed the circulation of PUUV in mainland Estonia.
    • The presence of untyped sera suggests the potential existence of an unknown hantavirus serotype in the region.