title: Hantaviruses in Africa.
abstract: This paper summarizes the progress in the search for hantaviruses and hantavirus infections in Africa. After having collected molecular evidence of an indigenous African hantavirus in 2006, an intensive investigation for new hantaviruses has been started in small mammals. Various novel hantaviruses have been molecularly identified not only in rodents but also in shrews and bats. In addition, the first African hantavirus, Sangassou virus, has been isolated and functionally characterized in cell culture. Less is known about the ability of these hantaviruses to infect humans and to cause diseases. To date, no hantavirus genetic material could be amplified from patients' specimens collected in Africa. Serological studies in West Africa, based on a battery of screening and confirmatory assays, led to the detection of hantavirus antibodies in the human population and in patients with putative hantavirus disease. In addition to this overview, we present original data from seroepidemiological and field studies conducted in the Southern part of Africa. A human seroprevalence rate of 1.0% (n=1442) was detected in the South African Cape Region whereas no molecular evidence for the presence of hantavirus was found in 2500 small animals trapped in South Africa and Namibia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut Ruska Building, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Witkowski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut Ruska Building, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117 Berlin, Germany; Institute of Virology, Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Klempa
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ndapewa L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Ithete
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut Ruska Building, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Brita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Auste
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia.
authors.forename: John K E
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Mfune
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoveka
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matthee
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Preiser
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut Ruska Building, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: detlev.kruger@charite.de.
authors.forename: Detlev H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kruger
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002353:Carrier State; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000821:virology*; D007312:Eulipotyphla / Q000821:virology*; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D012377:Rodentia; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: Africa; Hantavirus