Hantavirus infections in forestry workers

Abstract

Forestry workers are exposed to wild animals, vegetation and soil, which may contain pathogens harmful to humans. Infection can have different pathways from inhalation, direct contact and vector-borne inoculation through the skin injuries. The aim of our study was to determine infection rates in forestry workers caused by different rodent-borne hantaviruses (HTV) in the central Posavina region, Croatia. We tested sera of 295 forestry workers for the presence of specific IgG antibodies for Puumala, Dobrava-Belgrade and Hantaan. Additionally at two different locations also in Posavina region 105 wild rodents were trapped and tested for HTV using direct fluorescence antibody test. Only bank voles were screened for presence of PUU N antigen using Western blot method. Nova Gradiška and Slavonski Brod are - known as endemic regions for HTV. However, the high HTV seroprevalence of foresters (16.3%) was unexpected. 11.2 % of forestry workers were infected with Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) and 4.4% with Dobrava-Belgrade hantavirus (DOBV) and rest of 0.7% were positive for both viruses. Overall 14% of rodents trapped on two locations were tested positive for HTV. In lungs of 26.3% of bank voles virus antigen was detected. Such high infection rates in forestry workers show how important is to monitor rodent populations and to analyze prevalence of particular rodent born zoonoses.

Keywords

• bank vole
• Dobrava-Belgrade hantavirus
• forestry workers
• Puumala hantavirus
• rodents