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Letter
Serologic Evidence of Hantavirus
Infection in Humans, Colombia
Salim Máttar,*†
and Miguel Parra†
*Universidad de Córdoba, Montería, Colombia; and †Corporación Universitaria
del Sinú, Montería, Córdoba, Colombia
Suggested
citation for this article
To the Editor: Several New World hantaviruses cause hantavirus
pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in the Americas. All hantaviruses that cause
HPS are hosted by the rodent family Muridae, subfamily Sigmodontinae
(New World rats and mice). Since the Sin Nombre virus (SNV) was documented
in 1993 (1), ≈25 sigmodontine hantavirus genotypes
from the Americas have been described; each is associated with a different
rodent species or subspecies. Hantaviruses have been documented in South
America from Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru,
and Venezuela (2), and in Central America from Costa
Rica and Panama (3,4).
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Figure. Locations of 12 towns in Córdoba
and Sucre departments, Colombia, where rural workers were screened
for antibody to Sin Nombre hantavirus...
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Although documented in four bordering countries, hantaviruses have not
been documented in Colombia. We assessed hantavirus antibody prevalence
in humans by screening blood samples from rural volunteers within Córdoba
and Sucre provinces in Colombia. Workers 16–65 years-of-age from 12 communities
were enrolled. The research committee of the University of Córdoba approved
the protocol, and informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Participants were of low socioeconomic status and lived in homes with
no running water and frequently no electricity. These workers had lived
in the same general area all of their lives; none had traveled outside
of Colombia. From January to October 2003, 88 blood samples were collected
in 12 localities. Samples were screened for immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibody
reactive with SNV antigen by using enzyme immunoassay (5).
This assay detects, but does not distinguish among, all known sigmodontine
hantaviruses. SNV antibody was detected in 12 samples (13.5%) representing
10 of 12 sites. Site-specific prevalences (Figure)
ranged from 5% (1 of 19) to 50% (1 of 2). Except for one category with
no positive samples, prevalence of anti-SNV IgG was similar across occupations
(chi square = 0.03, df = 3, p = 0.998). All 12 antibody-positive samples
were from male workers. We divided the study population into five age
categories (18–24 years, n = 19; 25–34 years, n = 24; 35–44 years, n =
20; 45–54 years, n = 15; 55–70 years, n = 10) and found significant differences
among the proportions of antibody-positive persons (chi square = 9.8,
df = 4, p = 0.04). The higher prevalences were in the two youngest age
groups (16%–17%) and the oldest age group (40%); one antibody-positive
sample was found in the 35- to 54-year-old group (3%).
The prevalence of SNV-reactive antibody in rural workers indicates that
at least one hantavirus is endemic in rodents in northern Colombia and
is frequently transmitted to rural residents. This finding further supports
mounting evidence that hantaviruses and HPS are a Pan-American problem
(2,6). The bimodal infection distribution among age groups
suggests human exposure might be episodic with an extended periodicity.
Preliminary and limited rodent sampling has not produced any hantavirus
antibody–positive samples. Although their distributions are poorly studied,
both Zygodontomys brevicauda (reservoir of Calabazo virus in Panama)
and Oligoryzomys fulvescens (reservoir of Choclo virus, a known
agent of HPS in Panama [4]) are believed to be found
in northern Colombia (7).
Despite the prevalence of antibodies to a hantavirus in humans in northern
Colombia, we did not find any human illnesses. None of the SNV antibody–positive
volunteers reported illness compatible with HPS; however, some hantaviruses
may cause mild or no illness. Surveys have shown hantavirus antibodies
(13%–40% prevalence in Paraguay and northern Argentina [8],
Bolivia [J. Montgomery et al., unpub. data], northern Brazil [P.F.C. Vasconcelos
et al., unpub. data], and Panama [6]) in some populations
with little evidence of illness.
Infection in rural workers and the likely presence of O. fulvescens
in northern Colombia underscore the importance of physician awareness
and surveillance for HPS. A systematic survey of sigmodontine rodent populations
that will identify the hantaviruses and their hosts is imperative.
Acknowledgments
We thank W. Ariz,
A. Iguaran, A. Aleman, S. Najera, S. Florez, and A. Miranda for field
work and collection of samples; T. Ksiazek and A. Comer for performing
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; and J. Mills for consultation, assistance,
and encouragement.
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Suggested citation
for this article:
Máttar S, Parra M.
Serologic evidence of hantavirus infection in humans, Colombia [letter].
Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2004 Dec [date cited].
Available from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no12/04-0821.htm
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