Background: Thirty six cases of clinical Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome occurred in the IX Region of Chile. Most of these patients were young males, farm or timber workers, who lived near the Andes Mountain chain.
Aim: To conduct an epidemiological and serosurvey study to determine the seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against Hantavirus in the general adult population living in rural and urban areas of 10 endemic communities of the IX region of Chile.
Material and methods: A total of 400 subjects were included, 40 of each community, 20 rural residents and 20 urban residents, 20 males and 20 females.
Results: Seroprevalence was 7.5% in Melipeuco, 5.0% in Lonquimay, 2.5% in Curacautin, 2.5% in Pucón and 0.0% in the remaining communities. Seroprevalence was higher in rural population (2.5%) than in the urban areas (1%). All seropositive subjects worked in farms or forests and observed rodents near their homes or working places. Females were affected the same as males and no differences were observed between Chilean natives and Hispanics.
Conclusions: Prevalence of Hantavirus antibodies correlated with the geographic zone (Andes Mountain chain), overgrowth of wild rodents and exposure to rodent-infested environments.