Seoul virus infection in Guatemala

Resum

Introduction: Seoul virus (SEOV) was first isolated and identified in 1982. The virus and its reservoir(Rattus norvegicus), are worldspread. SEOV is the etiologic agent of the urban cases ofhernorragic fever with renal syndrome and epidemic outbreaks observed in laboratorieshandling infected rodents. Serological surveys in human and/or rodents performed in the Americas showed that SEOV is present in this Continent. Besides several Seoul or Seoul-Iike strains have been ·isolated from rats in South and North America.In Guatemala, a country located in Central America, information about Hantavirus is not avaible. In this work we studied the seroprevalence of SEOV infection in a population of the Guatemala District. Material And Methods:A total of 1775 sera were selected from general population of National Health ServiceHospitals and Health Care Service from the Guatemala District (Centre of the Guatemala).The sera samples were transported by plane to Spain and stored at -20ºC until their study. The sera were analized by an índirect immunofluorescence test using a fluorescein-labeled conjugate for total human immunoglobulins and as antigen Vero E6 cells 40-50% infected with the SEOV (strain 80/39). Sera with antibody titres >‗1/32 were considered positive.Results:Specific antibodies for SEOV were present in 1.9% of the analysed population (34 positivesera). 19 were from men (1.8%) and 15 from women (1.9%). Toe mean age was 47.4 years(ranged from 21 to 80 years old).Discussion and Conclusions: Hantavirus infection seem to be a minor problem from humanpathology in America until that autochthonous strains were recognized as causative ofHantavirus Pulmonar Syndrome. Since then, many clinical cases have been reported andmany strains have been isolated in sorne countries of America. In addition otbers AmericanHantavirus isolates bave not been implicated in human disease yet. SEOV has beenassociated with tbe development of hypertension and cronic renal failure. This is tbe first Hantavirus study performed in Guatemala and shows up the presence of aSeoul-like virus in this country. Toe lack of both clinical reports and epidemilogical surveysprobably attends to a little information about these virus being clinical cases undiagnosed.Other reason could be the low pathogecic degree of the circulating strain. We considernecessary to extend this study, using others Hantavirus strains, to patients and rodents toestablish the importance of these virus in Guatemala. (Resumen completo publicado en: Emergence and Control of Rodent-Borne Viral Diseases (Hantaviral and Arenal Diseases). Symposium 'Emerging Diseases' , Elsevier, 1998. ISBN 978-28-4299-114-2)