Hantavirus infection

Abstract

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) are rodent borne viral zoonosis caused by hantavirus infection. HFRS and HPS cause epidemic in Eurasia continent and North and South American continent, respectively. Various species of wild rodents play as a reservoir animal in nature. Laboratory rat derived HFRS epidemic has also been reported in several countries including Japan. Recently, HFRS and HPS were classified to category 4 diseases in the Japanese law in which patient must be reported to municipality office. Since rat has widely been used in many institutions, prevention and control of the animal infection are quite important for both occupational hazard and research accomplishment point of view.