Original scientific paper

Clinical Picture of HFRS during the Nonepidemic Period

Gorana Džepina ; Klinika za infektivne bolesti
Lidija Cvetko Krajinović ; Klinika za infektivne bolesti
Alemka Markotić ; Klinika za infektivne bolesti

Abstract

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is an acute zoonotic disease caused by hantaviruses, endemic in Croatia but spread worldwide, especially in Europe and Asia. There have been five outbreaks in Croatia so far, the one in 2002 the largest in proportion with more than 400 cases. Between epidemic years there has been a continuous emergence of sporadic cases, with maximum of a few dozen per year. The aim of the study was to analyze the severity of clinical picture in sporadic cases of HFRS during the nonepidemic period compared to the epidemic period. Case records of 29 patients were reviewed and the clinical diagnosis was verified serologically in 21. Most of them were male (86%), aged between 18 and 72. Clinical picture was milder in comparison with the epidemic 2002. Apart from one patient who died, there were no severe or very severe forms of HFRS recorded in the nonepidemic period while in the epidemic period severe and very severe clinical pictures were noted in 5.4% of patients. Moderately severe clinical picture in nonepidemic period was described in 10.3% of the patients compared with 16% during the 2002 outbreak. In the observed period, most patients (86.2%) had mild clinical forms of HFRS as opposed to 78.8% of patients in 2002.

Keywords

hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome; hantaviruses; Croatia; clinical picture

Hrčak ID:

43772

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/43772

Publication date:

3.3.2009.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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