Abstract

INSAURRALDE, A  and  PAEZ, M. Situación epidemiológica del síndrome pulmonar por hantavirus (SPH). Paraguay 2000-2004: Epidemiology of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Paraguay 2000-2004. Mem. Inst. Investig. Cienc. Salud [online]. 2008, vol.6, n.1, pp.28-33. ISSN 1812-9528.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a serious zoonotic disease transmitted by the rodent Calomys laucha, a Hantavirus reservoir, first diagnosed in 1995 in the Paraguayan Chaco. This paper is a descriptive retrospective analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of HPS in the Paraguayan Chaco between 2000 and 2004. Clinical and epidemiological records referred to the Health Ministry of Paraguay were analyzed. There were 62 cases of HPS, mostly men, between 12 and 70 years old, 47% in Mennonite immigrants and 98% in the Central Chaco. Agricultural activities were at greatest risk and the incidence rate was 1.02 x100,000 inhabitants with a lethality rate of 11.3%. Due to the recent confirmed cases, it becomes necessary that the national Health Services reinforces preventive measures through its epidemiological, clinical and environmental teams.

Keywords : Hanta virus; Hantavirus; Paraguay.

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