Hantaviirusinfektsioonid Eestis

Hantaviirusnakkused on zoonootilised – viirused tsirkuleerivad looduses ilma inimese osaluseta, neid levib näriliste vahendusel. Tuntud on kaks kliiniliselt erinevat haigusvormi – neerusündroomiga hemorraagiline palavik (levinud Aasias ja Euroopas) ning hantaviiruse pulmonaalne sündroom (levinud Ameerikas). Sõltuvalt viirustüübist võib letaalsus haigestumuse korral ulatuda kuni 40%-ni. Eestis on isoleeritud Dobrava genotüüp viirus. Saaremaal püütud juttselg hiirtel on isoleeritud viirus osutunud aga omaette genotüüpi kuuluvaks ja on nimetatud saaremaa hantaviiruseks. Hantaviirusnakkus on levinud ka Eestis – aastal 2001 esines 12 seroloogiliselt kinnitatud haigusjuht

Characterization of Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome Caused by Hantaviruses, Estonia

Thirty cases of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) due to Puumala virus (PUUV), Saaremaa virus (SAAV), and Dobrava virus infection were confirmed in Estonia. Except for the levels of serum creatinine, no remarkable differences were found in the clinical course of HFRS caused by PUUV and SAAV

Climate change cannot explain the upsurge of tick-borne encephalitis

Background. Pathogens transmitted by ticks cause human disease on a greater scale than any other vector-borne infections in Europe, and have increased dramatically over the past 2–3 decades. Reliable records of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) since 1970 show an especially sharp upsurge in cases in Eastern Europe coincident with the end of Soviet rule, including the three Balti

Variable spikes in tick-borne encephalitis incidence in 2006 independent of variable tick abundance but related to weather

Background: The incidence of tick-borne encephalitis showed a dramatic spike in several countries in Europe in 2006, a year that was unusually cold in winter but unusually warm and dry in summer and autumn. In this study we examine the possible causes of the sudden increase in disease: more abundant infected ticks and/or increased exposure due to human behaviour, both in response to the weather. Methods: For eight countries across Europe, field data on tick abundance for 2005-2007, collected monthly from a total of 41 sites, were analysed in relation to total annual and seasonal TBE incidence and temperature and rainfall conditions. Results: The weather in 2006-2007 was exceptional compared with the previous two decades, but neither the very cold start to 2006, nor the very hot period from summer 2006 to late spring 2007 had any consistent impact on tick abundance. Nor was the TBE spike in 2006 related to changes in tick abundance. Countries varied in the degree of TBE spike despite similar weather patterns, and also in the degree to which seasonal variation in TBE incidence matched seasonal tick activity. Conclusion: The data suggest that the TBE spike was not due to weather-induced variation in tick population dynamics. An alternative explanation, supported by qualitative reports and some data, involves human behavioural responses to weather favourable for outdoor recreational activities, including wild mushroom and berry harvest, differentially influenced by national cultural practices and economic constraints

Variable spikes in tick-borne encephalitis incidence in 2006 independent of variable tick abundance but related to weather

Abstract Background The incidence of tick-borne encephalitis showed a dramatic spike in several countries in Europe in 2006, a year that was unusually cold in winter but unusually warm and dry in summer and autumn. In this study we examine the possible causes of the sudden increase in disease: more abundant infected ticks and/or increased exposure due to human behaviour, both in response to the weather. Methods For eight countries across Europe, field data on tick abundance for 2005–2007, collected monthly from a total of 41 sites, were analysed in relation to total annual and seasonal TBE incidence and temperature and rainfall conditions. Results The weather in 2006–2007 was exceptional compared with the previous two decades, but neither the very cold start to 2006, nor the very hot period from summer 2006 to late spring 2007 had any consistent impact on tick abundance. Nor was the TBE spike in 2006 related to changes in tick abundance. Countries varied in the degree of TBE spike despite similar weather patterns, and also in the degree to which seasonal variation in TBE incidence matched seasonal tick activity. Conclusion The data suggest that the TBE spike was not due to weather-induced variation in tick population dynamics. An alternative explanation, supported by qualitative reports and some data, involves human behavioural responses to weather favourable for outdoor recreational activities, including wild mushroom and berry harvest, differentially influenced by national cultural practices and economic constraints.</p