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Puumala Virus Outbreak in Western T huringia, G ermany, 2010: Epidemiology and Strain Identification
Author(s) -
Faber M.,
Wollny T.,
Schlegel M.,
Wanka K. M.,
Thiel J.,
Frank C.,
Rimek D.,
Ulrich R. G.,
Stark K.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
zoonoses and public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.87
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1863-2378
pISSN - 1863-1959
DOI - 10.1111/zph.12037
Subject(s) - hantavirus , outbreak , puumala virus , virology , biology , population , hantaan virus , rodent , wood mouse , hantavirus infection , epidemiology , virus , medicine , environmental health , ecology
Summary In 2010, the highest annual number of human P uumala virus ( PUUV ) infections was reported in G ermany since hantavirus surveillance started in 2001. The increase in annual case numbers was especially marked in western T huringia. We combined results of case‐based hantavirus surveillance in humans and serological and molecular investigations in the rodent reservoir to describe the epidemiological situation and to identify the putative outbreak strain. A 5‐fold increase in notified hantavirus cases compared to the previous annual maximum was observed in western T huringia in 2010. Disease incidence varied tremendously within a small geographical area with case patients' places of residence clustering around beech‐dominated broad leaf forest patches. Investigations in the rodent reservoir revealed a novel P uumala virus ( PUUV ) subtype, which is clearly distinct from strains collected in other PUUV endemic regions of G ermany. It can be assumed that in regions in western Thuringia where hantavirus cases occurred in 2010 or previous outbreak years, PUUV has been present in the environment for a long time. Further studies are needed to elucidate the population dynamics and hantavirus prevalence of the rodent reservoir and driving ecological factors.