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Hantaviruses. a short review.
1Department of Pathology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Ill 60153, USA. jlednic@lumc.edu
Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
|January 11, 2003
Summary
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) are rodent-borne diseases. Increased human exposure to rodents, not viral changes, drives hantavirus emergence, necessitating rodent control for public health.
Area of Science:
- Zoonotic diseases
- Viral pathogenesis
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Hantaviruses are rodent-borne viruses causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).
- HFRS occurs globally, while HPS is found in the Americas and has higher mortality.
- Genetic studies indicate coevolution of hantaviruses with rodent hosts in both Old and New Worlds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review hantavirus biology.
- To describe the medical features of HFRS and HPS.
- To outline diagnostic tests for hantavirus infections.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of hantavirus biology and diseases.
- Analysis of clinical and epidemiological data for HFRS and HPS.
- Review of diagnostic methods for hantavirus detection.
Main Results:
- HPS, recognized in 1993, has higher mortality than HFRS.
- Rodent populations adapting to human settlements increase exposure risk.
- The number of hantaviruses linked to HPS is expanding.
Conclusions:
- Hantavirus diseases emerge due to increased human-rodent exposure, not viral evolution.
- Population growth and habitat disruption facilitate hantavirus spread.
- Public health interventions targeting rodent control are crucial to prevent future outbreaks.