THE COMPLEX ECOLOGY OF HANTAVIRUS IN PARAGUAY

YONG-KYU CHU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico; Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

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ROBERT D. OWEN Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico; Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

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LIZA M. GONZALEZ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico; Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

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COLLEEN B. JONSSON Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico; Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

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Following an outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in the Paraguayan Chaco in 1995, Calomys laucha was identified as the rodent host for the hantavirus associated with these cases. To explore the possibility of additional hantaviruses in Paraguay, we collected 636 mammals from 10 of the 17 departments. Plasma from 27 animals in Alto Paraguay and Boquerón in the Chaco and Ñeembucú and Itapúa in the eastern region had antibody to Andes virus antigens. Of these 27, five individuals (among four species) were positive for hantavirus RNA. Sera were collected from indigenous people in eastern Paraguay to ascertain whether persons were being infected with hantavirus outside of the Chaco. Seventeen percent were antibody-positive. These results suggest that several different hantaviruses are co-circulating in Paraguay, and that HPS cases occurring in eastern Paraguay may result from exposure to hantaviruses that are distinct from those in the Chaco.

Author Notes

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