title: Prevalence of antibodies against hantaviruses in serum and saliva of adults living or working on farms in Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
abstract: Hantaviruses are an established cause of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Europe. Following a confirmed case of HFRS in the UK, in an individual residing on a farm in North Yorkshire and the Humber, a tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England, and the subsequent isolation of a Seoul hantavirus from rats trapped on the patient's farm, it was considered appropriate to further investigate the public health risk of this virus in the region. Of a total 119 individuals tested, nine (7.6%) were seropositive for hantavirus antibodies. Seven of the seropositive samples showed a stronger reaction to Seoul and Hantaan compared to other clinically relevant hantaviruses. Observation of rodents during the day, in particular mice, was associated with a reduced risk of seropositivity. In addition to one region known to be at risk following an acute case, five further potential risk areas have been identified. This study supports recently published evidence that hantaviruses are likely to be of public health interest in the region.
authors: Microbiology Services, Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire, SP4 0JG, UK. lisa.jameson@phe.gov.uk.
authors: Lisa J
authors: LJ
authors: Jameson
authors: Public Health England, Yorkshire and the Humber, York, YO41 1LZ, UK. autilia.newton@phe.gov.uk.
authors: Autilia
authors: A
authors: Newton
authors: Field Epidemiology Services, Public Health England, Leeds, LS2 7UE, UK. louise.coole@phe.gov.uk.
authors: Louise
authors: L
authors: Coole
authors: Microbiology Services, Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire, SP4 0JG, UK. edmund.newman@phe.gov.uk.
authors: Edmund N C
authors: EN
authors: Newman
authors: Microbiology Services, Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire, SP4 0JG, UK. miles.carroll@phe.gov.uk.
authors: Miles W
authors: MW
authors: Carroll
authors: Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK. beeching@liverpool.ac.uk.
authors: Nick J
authors: NJ
authors: Beeching
authors: Microbiology Services, Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire, SP4 0JG, UK. roger.hewson@phe.gov.uk.
authors: Roger
authors: R
authors: Hewson
authors: Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7BE, UK. robc@liverpool.ac.uk.
authors: Robert M
authors: RM
authors: Christley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D018063:Hantaan virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006480:Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D051381:Rats; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology*; D029263:Seoul virus / Q000276:immunology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D044967:Serum / Q000276:immunology*; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral