Platelet Count in Patients with Mild Disease at Admission is Associated with Progression to Severe Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) has a mortality up to 35-40% and its treatment is mainly supportive. A variable to predict progression from mild to severe disease is unavailable. This study was performed in patients with documented infection by Andes orthohantavirus, and the aim was to find a simple variable to predict progression to moderate/severe HCPS in patients with mild disease at admission. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 175 patients between 2001 and 2018. Patients were categorized into mild, moderate, and severe disease according to organ failure and advanced support need at hospital admission (e.g., mechanical ventilation, vasopressors). Progression to moderate/severe disease was defined accordingly. Clinical and laboratory variables associated with progression were explored. RESULTS: Forty patients with mild disease were identified; 14 of them progressed to moderate/severe disease. Only platelet count was different between those who progressed versus those that did not (37 (34-58) vs. 83 (64-177) K/mm3, p < 0.001). A ROC curve analysis showed an AUC = 0.889 (0.78-1.0) p < 0.001, with a platelet count greater than 115K /mm3 ruling out progression to moderate/severe disease. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with mild disease at presentation, platelet count could help to define priority of evacuation to tertiary care centers.

Estudo longitudinal da infecção por hantavirus em roedores silvestres no estado do Paraná / Longitudinal study of hantavirus rodent hosts in the state of Paraná

A Síndrome Cardio-Pulmonar por Hantavírus (SPH) é uma zoonose cuja emergência está relacionada a alterações ambientais que modificam os padrões de riqueza e abundância das espécies. Nestas situações, espécies de hábitos generalistas/oportunistas podem ser favorecidas, como é o caso das principais espécies de roedores hospedeiros de hantavírus no Brasil. [...] No Brasil, são conhecidos nove genótipos virais, sendo cinco associados a roedores e casos de SPH e quatro associados apenas a roedores hospedeiros. O Estado do Paraná é o 4º em número de casos de SPH no Brasil e o município de General Carneiro se localiza na região da Floresta Ombrófila Mista, região que concentra a maioria dos casos do Estado. Este trabalho teve como objetivos: (1) Caracterizar a fauna de pequenos mamíferos e determinar a taxa de infecção por hantavírus em roedores silvestres em quatro unidades de paisagem do Estado do Paraná; (2) realizar um estudo das populações de roedores silvestres e de sua infecção por hantavírus, no município de General Carneiro/PR, considerando os parâmetros populacionais, as variáveis de micro-habitat e a estrutura das comunidades, ao longo de dois anos. A identificação taxonômica foi baseada na análise cariotípica e, quando necessário, pela análise da morfologia craniana. Os espécimes infectados por hantavírus tiveram sua identificação específica confirmada por sequenciamento do gene Citocromo b. O diagnóstico de infecção por hantavírus foi realizado através de ensaio imunoenzimático ELISA, utilizando o antígeno Araraquara, e sequenciamento de DNA. O levantamento de espécies foi realizado em sete municípios do Estado do Paraná e o estudo temporal em General Carneiro foi realizado em seis áreas com diferentes graus de conservação...

Hantavirus cardio-pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a zoonosis whose emergence is associated tohabitat disturbance that alter diversity and abundance of natural communities, therebyfavoring generalist/opportunistic rodent species, as is the case of the main species ofhantavirus rodent hosts in Brazil. [...]Until now, there are nine known viralgenotypes in Brazil, five of them are associated with rodents and HPS cases, and theremaining are associated with rodent hosts only. The state of Paraná has one of the highestincidences of HPS in Brazil and the General Carneiro municipality is located in MixedOmbrophilous Forest, a biome with the highest incidence of HPS in Paraná. This studypurpose was (1) to conduct a survey of small mammals and their hantavirus infection in theState of Paraná, southern Brazil; (2) to analyze population dynamics, micro-habitatassociations and community structure of rodent hosts and hantavirus infection over a two-yearperiod in General Carneiro municipality. All species were identified by karyotyping or cranialmorphology/morphometry. Hantavirus antibody-positive specimens were confirmed bymolecular analysis (amplification of the cytochrome b gene). Serum and tissue samplesobtained from rodents were submitted to IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA),using N-Araraquara hantavirus recombinant nucleocapsid protein, and DNA sequencing,respectively...

[Grading the severity of disease in patients with Puumala or Dobrava virus infections from 1995 to 2000 in Croatia]. / Stupnjevanje tezine klinicke slike u bolesnika s Puumala ili Dobrava virusnom infekcijom u razdoblju od 1995. do 2000. godine u Hrvatskoj.

AIM: The aim of our study was to evaluate the proposed Croatian scale for grading the disease severity in patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). The aim was also to determine whether the infection with Dobrava virus (DOBV) in Croatia was associated with a more severe illness than the infection with Puumala virus (PUUV). PATIENTS AND METHODS: To evaluate the scale, case records of 62 HFRS patients hospitalized at the University Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Zagreb from 1995 till 2000 were reviewed. ELISA IgM and IgG tests were used for the detection of specific IgM and IgG antibodies to PUUV or DOBV. DISCUSSION: HFRS caused by hantaviruses is a zoonotic disease spread worldwide, posing a major public health problem of global dimensions. Recent epidemiologic studies show that almost all parts of Croatia are endemic regions for two hantaviruses, Puumala and Dobrava. The disease severity ranges from subclinical infection to severe illness with fatal outcome. Clinical picture is predominated by fever, myalgia, vomiting, hemorrhagic manifestation, visual impairment and kidney affection. There is still a lack of knowledge concerning all the parameters involved in the disease severity. Besides the type of virus and genetic material, host genes are also associated with the variable clinical course. HLA alleles B8, DR3, and DQ2 are strongly associated with severe outcome of PUUV infection, white HLA B27 allele is associated with a mild course. Whether similar genetic factors also operate in DOBV infection remains to be determined. Recently, a Croatian scale for grading the disease severity was proposed. The disease severity is graded by a scoring system (points attributed to specific clinical symptoms and laboratory findings) as 1--mild, 2--moderate, 3--severe, and 4--very severe. We found 60% of HFRS patients to be infected with PUUV and 40% with DOBV. In our study, 65% of patients infected with PUUV had mild, and 24% moderate disease. Severe and very severe disease was recorded in 11% of PUUV infected patients. In contrast, only 44% of patients infected with DOBV had mild disease, whereas 40% of patients showed a moderate clinical picture. Severe and very severe clinical picture was recorded in 16% of patients with DOBV infection. Statistical analysis showed a significant number of pa (p < 0.01) with PUUV infection to have mild disease, whereas a significant number of HFRS patients infected with DOBV had moderate (p < 0.01) and severe or very severe (p < 0.01) disease. CONCLUSION: Our results clearly indicate that in Croatia DOBV infection is associated with a more severe disease than PUUV infection. However, we confirmed previous findings that even PUUV infection could lead to a severe disease. Our initial experience in the evaluation of the proposed grading scale for disease severity demonstrated the proposed Croatian scale to be a useful tool in grading disease severity in patients infected with PUUV or DOBV. Moreover, the proposed scale may also prove highly useful for the prognostic purpose.

Identificação das espécies de roedores reservatórios de hantavírus no sul e sudeste brasileiro: (Nota Prévia) / Identification of hantavirus rodent reservoirs species in south and southeastern Brazil: (Previous Note)

BACKGROUNS: Hantavirus is a genus belonging to the Bunyaviridae family. Human infection occurs mainly by inhalation of aerosols formed from wild rodent droppings. The objectives of this study were to identify the species of rodent reservoirs of hantavirus that cause the cardiopulmonary syndrome in the southern and southeastern regions of Brazil; to understand the eco-epidemiology of this virus and the wild rodents' systematics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Rodents were captured using Sherman traps distributed throughout natural environments and around human settlements in localities were hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome was detected. After species identification, biometric measures were taken of each animal. Samples of blood, liver, kidney, spleen, heart and lung were preserved in liquid nitrogen and sent to the laboratory. Blood samples were tested for IgG antibodies for hantavirus using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Voucher specimens are available at the Instituto Adolfo Lutz collection. RESULTS: A total of 4,069 rodents, belonging to 22 species, were captured. From these rodents, 201 had IgG antibodies for hantavirus. The number of positive specimens per number of captured rodents according to the natural environments studied is the following: a) Mainland: Bolomys lasiurus (130/1187), Oximicterus ruttilans (1/6), Thalpomys lasiotis (0/2), Oligoryzomys stramineus (0/1), Oryzomys nitidus (0/24), Pseudoryzomys simplex (0/14), Calomys tener (22/910), Calomys callosus (2/107); b) Atlantic rainforest: Bolomys sp (1/51), Brucepattersonius soricinus (0/16), Oximicterus quaestor (0/15), Thaptomys nigrita (1/59), Delomys dorsalis (0/1), Delomys sublineatus (0/4) Oligoryzomys delticola (0/5), Oryzomys capito (0/3), Oryzomys ratticeps (0/7), Calomys laucha (0/26); c) Both habitats: Akodon sp (14/910), Oligoryzomys nigripes (28/360), Rattus rattus (0/9), Mus musculus (2/352). Oligoryzomys nigripes was more frequent in the Atlantic rainforest. Bolomys lasiurus showed the highest capture index (44%) and the highest antibody prevalence among mainland species (10.9%). In the Atlantic rainforest, Akodon sp was the most captured species (45,4%) and Oligoryzomys nigripes showed the highest antibody prevalence (7,8%). CONCLUSIONS:Antibody prevalence indicates Bolomys lasiurus as the reservoir of hantavírus in the mainland regions of São Paulo and Minas Gerais and Oligoryzomys nigripes in the Atlantic rainforest of São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná and Santa Catarina. Species belonging to the genus Akodon and Calomys showed lower prevalence, and complementary studies are needed to clarify their role in hantavirus epidemiology.

DELINEAMENTO DO PROBLEMA: Os hantavirus formam um gênero da família Bunyaviridae . A infecção humana ocorre, principalmente, pela inalação de aerossóis formados a partir de excretas de roedores silvestres infectados. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram identificar as espécies de roedores reservatórios de hantavírus causadores de síndrome cardiopulmonar nas regiões Sul e Sudeste do Brasil; e compreender a ecoepidemiologia desses vírus e a sistemática de roedores silvestres. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Em locais onde ocorreram casos de síndrome cardiopulmonar por hantavírus, foram realizadas capturas de roedores silvestres com auxílio de armadilhas tipo Sherman, distribuídas nos diversos biomas e ambientes domiciliares, peridomiciliares e silvestres. Após identificação sistemática da espécie, medidas biométricas foram tomadas de cada animal. Amostras de sangue, fígado, rim, baço, coração e pulmão foram conservadas em nitrogênio líquido e levadas para o laboratório. O sangue foi testado pela técnica imunoenzimática (ELISA) para detecção de anticorpos IgG para hantavírus. As carcaças dos roedores foram depositadas na coleção do Instituto Adolfo Lutz. RESULTADOS: Foram capturados 4.069 roedores, de 22 espécies. Desses, 201 roedores apresentaram anticorpos IgG para hantavírus. As espécies e os respectivos números de roedores positivos por capturados, de acordo com os biomas estudados foram: a) cerrado: Bolomys lasiurus (130/1187), Oximicterus ruttilans (1/6), Thalpomys lasiotis (0/2), Oligoryzomys stramineus (0/1), Oryzomys nitidus (0/24), Pseudoryzomys simplex (0/14), Calomys tener (22/910), Calomys callosus (2/107), b) Mata Atlântica: Bolomys sp (1/51), Brucepattersonius soricinus (0/16), Oximicterus quaestor (0/15), Thaptomys nigrita (1/59), Delomys dorsalis (0/1), Delomys sublineatus (0/4) Oligoryzomys delticola (0/5), Oryzomys capito (0/3), Oryzomys ratticeps (0/7), Calomys laucha (0/ 26); c) nos dois biomas: Akodon sp (14/910), Oligoryzomys nigripes (28/360), Rattus rattus (0/9), Mus musculus (2/352). Oligoryzomys nigripes foi consideravelmente mais freqüente na mata atlântica. Bolomys lasiurus apresentou maior índice de captura (44%) e de prevalência de anticorpos entre espécies de cerrado (11%), enquanto na mata atlântica, Akodon sp foi a mais capturada (45%) e Oligoryzomys nigripes apresentou maior soropositividade (8%). CONCLUSÕES: Baseando-se na prevalência de anticorpos, Bolomys lasiurus foi identificado como reservatório de hantavírus nas regiões de cerrado de São Paulo e Minas Gerais e Oligoryzomys nigripes nas regiões de mata atlântica de São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná e Santa Catarina. Espécies do gênero Akodon e Calomys mostraram baixas soroprevalências e requerem novos estudos para esclarecer seu papel na epidemiologia do hantavírus.