Prevalence of serum antibodies to hantavirus in a rural population from the Southern State of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Pereira, G.ór.W.; Teixeira, A.é M.; Souza, M.S.d.; Braga, A.D.; Santos Junior, G.S.d.; Figueiredo, G.G.d.; Figueiredo, L.T.M.; Borges, A.A.
Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 45(1): 117-119
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 1678-9849 PMID: 22370840 DOI: 10.1590/s0037-86822012000100022
Accession: 055162071
Rodent-borne hantaviruses cause severe human diseases. We completed a serological survey of hantavirus infection in rural inhabitants of Turvo County, in the southern State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, in which seropositivity for hantavirus was correlated to previous disease in the participants. The levels of IgG antibodies to hantavirus Araraquara in the sera of 257 individuals were determined using an immunoenzymatic assay. IgG antibodies to hantavirus were found in 2.3% of the participants. All seropositive participants reported previous disease with symptoms suggestive of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. Human infections causing unreported cardiopulmonary syndrome probably occur in the southern State of Santa Catarina.