title: An outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in western Paraguay.
abstract: During an investigation of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in Paraguay in 1995, sera from persons with HPS-like illness, houshold contacts of confirmed HPS case-patients, and a sample of the area residents were analyzed by ELISA for antibodies to Sin Nombre virus (SNV). Rodent serosurveys and analysis of precipitation records were also conducted. Twenty-three of 24 available probable cases were SNV antibody-positive, 17 of whom were ill between July 1995 and January 1996. Four (14.8%) of 27 case-contacts and 44 (12.8%) of 345 community residents were also seropositive. Calomys laucha (vesper mouse) was the most common rodent species captured and the most frequently SNV-seropositive. Rainfall in May 1995 was 10-fold greater than that seen in May over the preceding 11 years. This 17 case-cluster represents the largest documented outbreak since HPS was first recognized in 1993. Calomys laucha is the likely primary rodent reservoir for a SNV-like hantavirus in western Paraguay. Fluctuations in monthly precipitation rates may have contributed to increased risk for HPS in this region.
authors.affiliation: Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, and Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Bryan
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vera
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Velasquez
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baez
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Figueroa
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Zaki
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Ksiazek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018804:Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010239:Paraguay / Q000453:epidemiology; D011891:Rain; D012377:Rodentia / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral