Hantavirus infection in suspected dengue cases from State of Ceará, Brazil

Abstract

During the 2008 dengue outbreak in Ceara State, Brazil, serum samples from 82 patients with a clinical history of acute fever consistent with dengue were clinically and serologically studied. Of these 82 patients, 35 (42.6%) had dengue infection, of whom 35 were positive for IgM-ELISA, 4 by RT-PCR, 2 being positive for DENV-2, and 2 for DENV-3. Serological tests for hantavirus were performed in only 72 of the 82 patients, of whom 3 tested positive (one with positive IgM antibodies and two with IgG antibodies). The positive sera showed antibody titres of 1:100 and 1:400. All the 3 seropositive patients lived in urban areas. Their laboratory examinations showed platelet counts of <150 000/mm 3 (n=2) and haematocrit level of <50% (n=3). This hantavirus could be the Anajatuba virus that was associated to human infections in the neighbouring state of Maranhao. These results underscore the importance of epidemiological surveillance for hantavirus in Ceara State.