[Hantavirus infection in Spain: seroepidemiologic study in the province of Soria].
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present was to study the seroprevalence of Hantavirus infection in the province of Soria, Spain.


METHODS
Total specific antibodies against Hantavirus (Hantaan and Puumala virus) were studied by indirect immunofluorescence in 537 sera (251 males and 286 females) of a population from the province of Soria, distributed proportionally to the number of inhabitants from the health care areas. The age range of the population was from 1 to 95 years, the group mode ranging between 25 to 30 years and with a mean age of 36.4 years. The sera with antibody titers equal to or higher than 1/32 were considered as positive.


RESULTS
Significant titers of antibodies against Hantaan or Puumala virus were detected in 2.2% of the total of sera studied (12 positive sera); 1.75% in women (5/286) and 2.8% in men (7/251). Of these 12 positive sera, 8 reacted against both virus (1.5%-8/537), 3 exclusively to Puumala and 1 only to Hantaan. Seroprevalence against Puumala was 2% (11/537) and 1.7% against Hantaan (9/537). The age of the subjects with positive sera ranged from 3 to 73 years with a mean of 33.8 years with higher prevalence in the group from 30 to 40 years of age (4.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study confirm the existence of infection by Hantavirus in Spain.
Gegúndez
M I
MI
Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Portugal.
Saz
J V
JV
Alves
M J
MJ
Merino
F J
FJ
Filipe
A R
AR
Beltrán
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000276:immunology; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral
Infección por Hantavirus en España: estudio seroepidemiológico en la provincia de Soria.