title: Serologic survey of hantavirus in a rural population from the northern State of Mato Grosso, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hantavirus is a genus of ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses included in the family Bunyaviridae. Hantaviruses are rodent-borne zoonoses that, in the last 18 years, became an emergent public health problem in the Americas, causing a severe cardiopulmonary syndrome. This disease has no specific treatment and has a high case fatality. The transmission of hantavirus to man occurs by inhaling aerosols of rodent excreta. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of antibodies to hantavirus in the population of the rural settlement of Tupã in the county of Marcelândia, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants of the serologic survey were visited at their homes and selected randomly among the settlement population. Blood samples of the participants were collected by venopuncture. The serum samples were tested by an IgG-ELISA using an N recombinant protein of Araraquara hantavirus as antigen, using the protocol previously established by Figueiredo et al.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IgG antibodies to hantavirus were detected in 7 (13%) of the 54 participants. The positivity was higher among men. It was observed that there was an association of seropositivity to hantavirus within the participants born in the south of Brazil.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that, in this rural area, everyone is exposed to the same risk of becoming infected with hantavirus, and, therefore, there is a need to intensify surveillance activities and education of the local people to prevent this viral infection.
authors: Escritório Regional de Saúde de Colíder, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde de Mato Grosso, Colider, MT, Brasil. ionibiologo1@hotmail.com
authors: Ioni Oliveira
authors: IO
authors: Santos
authors: Glauciane Garcia de
authors: GG
authors: Figueiredo
authors: Luiz Tadeu Moraes
authors: LT
authors: Figueiredo
authors: Maria Regina Andrade de
authors: MR
authors: Azevedo
authors: Neil Ferreira
authors: NF
authors: Novo
authors: Celidéia Aparecida Coppi
authors: CA
authors: Vaz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012377:Rodentia / Q000821:virology; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G