title: Serological evidence of human hantavirus infections in Guinea, West Africa.
abstract: We recently discovered a novel hantavirus, Sangassou virus, in Guinea, West Africa. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays followed by confirmatory and serotyping assays, we retrospectively detected hantavirus antibodies in 3 (4.4%) of 68 patients with fever of unknown origin in Sangassou village, Forest Guinea. A population-based survey in Forest Guinea (n = 649) found the prevalence of hantavirus antibodies to be 1.2%. Specific neutralizing antibodies against Sangassou virus were demonstrated in serum samples from 2 patients and in 2 serum samples of the serosurvey. Our data allow us to conclude that hantavirus infections may be a significant unrecognized medical problem in at least this part of Africa.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité Medical School, Berlin, and 2Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany; 3Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; 4Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Project, University of Conakry, Conakry, Guinea.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Klempa
authors.forename: Lamine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Koivogui
authors.forename: Oumar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sylla
authors.forename: Kekoura
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koulemou
authors.forename: Brita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Auste
authors.forename: Detlev H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Krüger
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: ter Meulen
mesh_terms: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016701:Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M