Hantaviruses as a subject of research in forests of Central Europe

Hantavirusi su skupina negativnih RNK-virusa koji uzrokuju dvije bolesti, hantavirusni plućni sindrom (HPS) na području Sjeverne i Južne Amerike i hemoragijsku vrućicu sa bubrežnim sindromom (HVBS) na području Euroazije i Afrike. U srednjoj Europi zabilježena je prisutnost tri ljudski patogena virusa: Puumala, Dobrava i Saaremaa. Najrašireniji je virus Puumala kojemu je prirodni rezervoar šumska voluharica (Myodes glareolus), a koji uzrokuje blagi oblik hemoragijske vrućice poznat kao epidemijska nefropatija. Najčešći način zaraze je udisanje aerosola kontaminiranog životinjskim izlučevinama. Od epidemijske nefropatije godišnje oboli nekoliko stotina ili tisuća osoba, ponajviše na području Njemačke, dok je u ostatku središnje Europe bolest sporadičnog katraktera sa izuzetkom manjih epidemija. Diplomski rad donosi pregled svih otkrivenih hantavirusa, te prikaz oboljelih na području Austrije, Češke, Mađarske, Njemačke, Poljske, Slovačke i Slovenije i Hrvatske.Hantaviruses are a group of negative-stranded RNA viruses that cause two diseases, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in North and South America, and Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) in Eurasia and Africa. In Central Europe, three human pathogenic viruses are present: Puumala, Dobrava and Saaremaa. The most widespread is the Puumala virus, carried by its natural reservoir Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus), which causes a mild form of hemorrhagic fever known as Epidemic Nephropathy. Hantaviruses are usually transmitted to humans through inhalation of aerosolized excreta. There are several hundred or thousands of people infected by hantaviruses per year, mostly in Germany, while in the rest of Central Europe the disease is sporadic with the exception of minor epidemics. The thesis presents a review of all discovered hantaviruses in Central Europe, as well as a description of diseases in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia