Abstract

BELLOMO, Carla et al. Geographic expansion of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in Argentina: The southernest case report. Medicina (B. Aires) [online]. 2009, vol.69, n.6, pp.647-650. ISSN 0025-7680.

Since 1995 more than 1000 cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) were reported in Argentina, a severe disease and often fatal to humans. Most cases were associated with Andes virus (AND) that caused few events of person-to-person transmission. Several lineages of pathogenic AND viruses have been described, including AND South, hosted by the rodent Oligoryzomys longicaudatus which affects the Patagonian region of Argentina and Chile. We studied the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of a HPS case. The objective was to describe the clinical presentation of the case, its epidemiology, the likely site of infection, the viral variant implicated and its relationship with the closest reported cases. We carried out the clinical follow up, serological and molecular diagnosis and the epidemiological research, including a rodent reservoir study. The clinical presentation of the case was the classical and moderate, caused by AND South virus. Its viral nucleotide sequence was compared with cases from Southern Argentina and Chile. This case was found to be the most Southern (48° 46´ 1.2´´ S; 70° 15´ O) case reported and involved a new Argentinean province.

Keywords : Hantavirus; ANDES virus; Oligoryzomys longicaudatus; Argentina; Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome; Patagonia.

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