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How to diagnose hantavirus infections and detect them in rodents and insectivores
Author(s) -
Vaheri Antti,
Vapalahti Olli,
Plyusnin Alexander
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
reviews in medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.06
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1099-1654
pISSN - 1052-9276
DOI - 10.1002/rmv.581
Subject(s) - hantavirus , hantavirus infection , virology , biology , serology , insectivore , genotyping , immunology , virus , antibody , genotype , genetics , gene , paleontology , predation
Hantaviruses are carried by rodents and insectivores in which they cause persistent and generally asymptomatic infections. Several hantaviruses can infect humans and many of them cause either haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Eurasia or hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in the Americas. In humans hantavirus infections are diagnosed using IgM‐capture tests but also by RT‐PCR detection of viral RNA. For detection of hantavirus infections in rodents and insectivores, serology followed by immunoblotting of, for example, lung tissue, and RT‐PCR detection of viral RNA may be used, and if of interest followed by sequencing and virus isolation. For sero/genotyping of hantavirus infections in humans and carrier animals neutralisation tests/RNA sequencing are required. Hantaviruses are prime examples of emerging and re‐emerging infections and it seems likely that many new hantaviruses will be detected in the near future. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.