West/Central Slovakia

Abstract. The prevalence of antibody to hantaviruses in Slovakia (serum panel n 5 2,133) was lower in the western part (0.54%) and higher in the eastern part (1.91%) of the country and was found to be significantly enhanced in a group of forest workers from eastern Slovakia (5.88%). One-third of the IgM-negative convalescent phase sera from patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome exhibited antibodies reacting predominantly with Puumala virus antigen, while two-thirds had antibodies directed mainly against Hantaan virus antigen. Fine analysis of two Hantaan virus–reactive sera by a focus reduction neutralization test showed that Dobrava hantavirus was the source of these human infections. Initial results of rodent screening indicated the circulation of Dobrava virus in populations of striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius) in eastern Slovakia. TABLE 1 Hantavirus seroprevalence in the studied population and a risk group from different regions of Slovakia* Region Group No. of sera tested No. (%) of sera predominantly reactive with N protein HTN-like PUU-lik