title: Prevalence of serum IgG antibodies to Puumala virus (haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome) in northern Sweden.
abstract: A stratified and randomly-selected population sample was identified in 1990 in order to study the seroprevalence of nephropathia epidemica (haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome) in Northern Sweden. Sera from 1538 subjects (750 men, 788 women), 25-64 years of age, were analysed for the presence of Puumala virus (PUV) specific-IgG by the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test. Specific IgG was detected in sera from 83 subjects (5.4%). Men and women had similar seroprevalence rates. The highest seroprevalences were found in subjects 55 years or older (8.0%) and among farmers and forestry workers (15.9%). The geographic distribution of seropositive individuals was uneven and there were significantly more seropositive persons in rural than in urban areas (P < 0.05).
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ahlm
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linderholm
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Juto
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stegmayr
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Settergren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D016468:Forestry; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006480:Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G