EnzymeimmunoassayforthequalitativedeterminationofIgMantibodiesagainstHantavirusinhumanserumorplasma(citrateorheparin).HantavirusesarenegativesenseRNAvirusesintheBunyaviridaefamily.HumansmaybeinfectedwithHantavirusesthroughurine,salivaorcontactwithrodentwasteproducts.SomeHantavirusescausepotentiallyfataldiseasesinhumans,suchashemorrhagicfeverwithrenalsyndrome(HFRS)andhantaviruspulmonarysyndrome(HPS),butothershavenotbeenassociatedwithhumandisease.HumaninfectionsofHantaviruseshavealmostentirelybeenlinkedtohumancontactwithrodentexcrement,butrecenthuman-to-humantransmissionhasbeenreportedwiththeAndesvirusinSouthAmerica.Hantavirushasanincubationtimeoftwotofourweeksinhumansbeforesymptomsofinfectionoccur.

ThesymptomsofHFRScanbesplitintofivephases:

• Febrilephase:Symptomsincludefever,chills,sweatypalms,diarrhea,malaise,headaches,nausea,aBDominalandbackpain,respiratoryproblemssuchastheonescommonininfluenzavirusinfection,aswellasgastro-intestinalproblems.Thesesymptomsnormallyoccurforthreetosevendaysandariseabouttwotothreeweeksafterexposure.
• Hypotensivephase:Thisoccurswhenthebloodplateletlevelsdropandsymptomscanleadtotachycardiaandhypoxemia.Thisphasecanlastfor2days.
• Oliguricphase:Thisphaselastsforthreetosevendaysandischaracterizedbytheonsetofrenalfailureandproteinuriaoccurs.
• Diureticphase:Thisischaracterizedbydiuresisofthreetosixlitersperday,whichcanlastforacoupleofdaysuptoweeks.
• Convalescentphase:Thisisnormallywhenrecoveryoccursandsymptomsbegintoimprove.RegionsespeciallyaffectedbyHFRSincludeChina,theKoreanPeninsula,Russia(Hantaan,PuumalaandSeoulviruses),andnorthernandwesternEurope(PuumalaandDobravavirus).