Hantavirus infections in humans and animals, China.pdf

Hantavirus Infections in Humans and Animals, China Yong-Zhen Zhang, Yang Zou, Zhen F. Fu, and Alexander Plyusnin Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a HFRS cases are reported, mostly from the People’s Repub- serious public health problem in the People’s Republic of lic of China (7). China. Although 7 sero/genotypes of hantaviruses have To date, 7 sero/genotypes of hantaviruses have been been found in rodents, only Hantaan virus (carried by identifi ed in China (8). Of these, only Hantaan virus Apodemus agrarius mice) and Seoul virus (carried by Rat- (HTNV), carried by Apodemus agrarius mice, and Seoul tus norvegicus rats) reportedly cause disease in humans. virus (SEOV), carried by Rattus norvegicus rats, cause During 1950–2007, a total of 1,557,622 cases of HFRS in HFRS (8–11). Despite intensive measures implemented in humans and 46,427 deaths (3%) were reported in China. HFRS has been reported in 29 of 31 provinces in China. the past 3 decades, HFRS remains a major public health After implementation of comprehensive preventive mea- problem in China (10). sures, including vaccination, in the past decade in China, incidence of HFRS has dramatically decreased; only 11,248 Incidence and Mortality Rates HFRS cases were reported in 2007. Mortality rates also de- HFRS-like disease was described in Chinese writings clined from the highest level of 14.2% in 1969 to ≈ 1% dur- ≈ 1,000 years ago. Then in the early 1930s, HFRS cases ing 1995–2007. However, the numbers of HFRS cases and among Japa