[Increase in the number of cases of epidemic nephropathy in Germany. Virological and ecological aspects].
Epidemic nephropathy (EN) is transmitted to humans via rodents. The causative agent of this virus-borne renal disease is the Hantavirus Puumala. Other members of the genus Hantavirus cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) or hantaviral pulmonary syndrome (HPS). As with all zoonoses the prevalence of the virus depends on the distribution of the reservoir species. Climate changes have direct impact on the number of host animals and influence the incidence of hantaviral infections. A number of studies demonstrate the epidemiological relationship between climate, food supply, rodent population and outbreaks of HFRS and HPS. In Germany the number of cases of EN has increased in the past few years and huge rise in the incidence of the infection, more than 1600 cases, occurred in 2007.
Krautkrämer
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Nephrologie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 162, 69120 Heidelberg. ellen_krautrkaemer@med.uni-heidelberg.de
Zeier
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D000818:Animals; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000821:virology; D004463:Ecology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006480:Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D029262:Puumala virus; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology