Epidemiological profile of Hantavirus in the Ñuble region period 2002-2018, Chile

Hantavirus infection is an endemic zoonosis in Chile, with an average lethality of around 36%. The highest lethality (60%) was recorded in 1997. Prevention strategies have been applied since then. Early diagnosis and technologies, such as the use of ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) and Hantavirus immune plasma, have contributed to increasing the survival of people due to this disease at the national level. In the newly created Region of Ñuble in Chile, the incidence and lethality of Hantavirus cases are unknown; therefore, the objective of this research is to describe the epidemiological profile of Hantavirus cases in the Region of Ñuble, Chile from 2002 to 2018. This knowledge contributes to substantiating and justifies the need to invest in technology and reinforce interventions related to the early diagnosis and prevention of this disease in the region. Cases reported in the Ñuble region during the period 2002-2018, extracted from the Epidemiological Survey of Environmental Research of Hantavirus cases of the Ministry of Health of Chile, were analyzed retrospectively. The epidemiological profile of the Ñuble region is very similar to the national one in terms of characterizing the individual suffering from the disease. The most affected population is young men, residents in rural areas, and mainly from a low socioeconomic segment. The regional profile of Hantavirus cases makes it possible to identify three communes with the highest number of cases: El Carmen, Coihueco, and San Carlos. A political-administrative response is expected to focus on and optimize strategies and resources to reduce the incidence and lethality of this pathology in the Ñuble region.