Abstract
Twenty-three cases of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome were serologically diagnosed in rural populations of Greece between 1982 and 1985. The clinical picture of the disease was severe, (3 deaths recorded among 23 cases) and more closely resembled Korean hemorrhagic fever than nephropathia epidemica. Examination of patients' sera by indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) assays and plaque reduction neutralization (PRNT) tests using Hantaan 76–118, Puumala, and Seoul (Urban rat-associated Hantaan-like) viruses, suggested that the virus existing in Greece is either prototype Hantaan virus or a distinct virus which is closely related to Hantaan. Small mammal survey results suggest that Apodemus flavicollis may be the host of this virus. Serosurvey results of 2,653 blood samples taken from apparently healthy residents (farmers, shepherds, and woodcutters) from 22 of 54 counties in Greece, showed the percentage of seropositives to be 4%, with a range from 0 to 14%. Fifteen of 22 counties were characterized as endemic areas of the virus due to the presence of seropositive individuals. In 6 of the 15 endemic areas, overt human disease was serologically diagnosed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Antoniadis A., Pyrpasopoulos M., Sion M., DanielS. and Peters C.J. (1984): Two cases of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in northern Greece. -J. Infect. Dis., 149: 1011–1013.
Chumacov M., Gavrilovskaja I.N., Bopiko V., ZakharovaM.A., Myasnokov Y.A., Bashkirev T.A., ApekinaN.S., Safiullin R.S. and Potapov V.S. (1980): Detection of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) virus in the lungs of back voles Clethrionomys glareolus redbacked voles Clethrionomys rutilus trapped in HFRS foci in the European part of U.S.S.R., and serodiagnosis of this infection in man. - Arch. Voril., 69: 195–200.
Dournon E., Morinere B., Matheron S., GirardP.M., Gonzalez J-P., Hirsh F. and McCormick J.B. (1982): HFRS after a wild rodent bite in the Haute-Savoir and risk of exposure to Hantaan-like virus in a Paris laboratory. - Lancet, 1: 676–677.
Gadjusek D.C. (1962): Virus hemorrhagic fevers. Special reference to hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (epidemic hemorrhagic fever). - J. Pediatrics, 60: 841–857.
Gaon J., Karlovac M., Gresikova M., Hlaca D., Rukavina J., Knezevic V., Saratlic-Savic D. and Vampotic A. (1968): Epidemiological features of haemorrhagic fever. - Folia Med. Facult. Med. Univ. Saraviensis, 3: 23–41.
Gavrilovskaja I., Vasilenka S., Gumakov M., SindarovK. and Kaearov G. (1984): Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Bulgaria: Spreading and serologic proof. - Epidemiolog. Mikrobiolog. I. Infeck. Bol., 21: 17–22.
Lahdevirta J. (1982): Clinical features of HFRS in Scandinavia as compared with Asia. - Scand. J. Infect. Dis. Supp., 1–3.
Le Duc J.W. (1986): Epidemiology of Hantaan and related viruses. - Lab. Animal. Sci.. (In press).
Le Duc J.W., Smith G.A. and Johnson K.M. (1984): Hantaan-like viruses from domestic rats captured in the United States. - Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 33: 992–998.
Lee H.W. (1982): Korean Hemorrhagic fever. -Prog. Med. Virol., 28: 96–113.
Lee H.W. and Antoniadis A. (1981): Serological evidence of Korean hemorrhagic fever in Greece. -Lancet, 1, 832.
Schmaljohn C.S., Hasty S.E., Dalrymple J.M., LeDuc J.W., Lee H.W., vonBonsdorff C-H., Brummer-KorvenkontioM., Vaheri A., Tsai T.F., RegneryH.L., Goldgaber D. and Lee P.W. (1985): Antigenic and genetic properties of viruses linked to hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome into a newly defined genus of Bunyaviridae. - Science, 277: 1041–1044.
Siamopoulos K., Antoniadis A., Acritidis N., DanielS., Peters C.J., Tsianos E., Papapanagiotou I. and Moutsopoulos H.M. (1985): Outbreak of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Greece. -Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol., 4: 132–134.
Trensceni T. and Keleti B. (1971): Clinical aspects and epidemiology of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, Akademiai Kiado, Budapest, Hungary. pp. 103–128.
VanYpersele de Strihou C., Vandenbroucke J.M., Doyen C., Cosyns J.P., Van derGroen G. and Desmyter J. (1983): Diagnosis of epidemic and sporadic interstitial nefritis due to Hantaan-like virus in Belgium. - Lancet, 2: 1493.
Walker E., Pinkerton I.W. and Lloyd G. (1984): Scottish case of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. - Lancet, 2, 982.
World Health Organization (1983): Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome: Memorandum from a WHO meeting. - Bull. W.H.O., 61: 269–275.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Antoniadis, A., Le Duc, J.W. & Daniel-Alexiou, S. Clinical and epidemiological aspects of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Greece. Eur J Epidemiol 3, 295–301 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00149739
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00149739