Hantavirus infections in Europe: from virus carriers to a major public-health problem

Abstract

In Europe, hantavirus disease or hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is an endemic zoonosis that affects tens of thousands of individuals each year. The causative agents are viruses of the genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae, rodents and insectivores act as carriers. In all European countries there is a seroprevalence for hantaviruses in the general population but not all countries report cases. Here, we give an overview of the hantavirus situation in Europe.

Keywords::

• Dobrava
• Europe
• hantavirus
• Puumala
• Saaremaa
• Seoul
• Tula

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This review was made possible by grants of the Belgian Ministry of Defence WB28 and WB24. Thanks to the members of the European Network for diagnostics of Imported Viral Disease (ENIVD) Hantavirus Workgroup for valuable comments. This project has been partially funded under the EU 6th Framework Programme (GOCE-CT-2003-010284 EDEN) and is officially catalogued by the EDEN Steering Committee as EDEN0074. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.