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. 2010 Dec;16(12):1853-60.
doi: 10.3201/eid1612.091170.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in Argentina, 1995-2008

Valeria P Martinez  1 , Carla M Bellomo, Maria Luisa Cacace, Paola Suarez, Liliana Bogni, Paula J Padula
Affiliations

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in Argentina, 1995-2008

Valeria P Martinez et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2010 Dec.

Abstract

We report a large case series of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in Argentina that was confirmed by laboratory results from 1995 through 2008. The geographic and temporal distribution of cases by age, sex, fatality rate, and risk factors for HPS was analyzed. A total of 710 cases were unequally distributed among 4 of the 5 Argentine regions. Different case-fatality rates were observed for each affected region, with a maximum rate of 40.5%. The male-to-female ratio for HPS case-patients was 3.7:1.0; the case-fatality rate was significantly higher for women. Agriculture-associated activities were most commonly reported as potential risk factors, especially among men of working age. Although HPS cases occurred predominantly in isolation, we identified 15 clusters in which strong relationships were observed between members, which suggests ongoing but limited person-to-person transmission.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) cases in Argentina, 1995–2008. A) The 5 Argentine epidemiologic regions and percentages of HPS cases in each one are shown. B) Six of the 18 ecoregions (18) represented by the colors indicated in the reference key; percentages of HPS cases in each ecoregion are shown. Location of HPS cases is represented approximately by point density. Total no. of cases analyzed: 692; confirmed cases of person-to-person transmission were excluded from this analysis. NOA, Northwest; NEA, Northeast.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Annual hantavirus pulmonary syndrome case distribution and case-fatality rate, Argentina, 1995–2008. A) Annual case numbers (bars) and case-fatality rate (red line). B) Annual case distribution by region.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome case distribution, according to month of disease onset in disease-endemic regions, Argentina, 1995–2008.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome cases and case-fatality rate, by age and sex distribution (n = 685), Argentina, 1995–2008. White bars and black line indicate male patients, red bars and line female patients.
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