Long-term persistence of anti-hantavirus antibodies in sera of patients undergoing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and subjects vaccinated against the disease

AbstractBackground China has the highest prevalence of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and accounts for 90% of the total cases worldwide. However, the long-term persistence of anti-hantavirus antibodies in sera of patients with HFRS and subjects vaccinated against the disease remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of anti-hantavirus IgG antibodies in sera of patients with prior HFRS, versus subjects vaccinated against the disease and controls in Shaanxi, China. Methods Six hundred individuals were included in this study. We quantified anti-hantavirus IgG antibodies in HFRS patients (n = 100), vaccinees (n = 200), controls from endemic regions (n = 200), and controls from non-endemic regions (n = 100) in China. Results The median optical density (OD) values (range) were 0.803 (0.008–1.813), 0.075 (0.004–1.565), 0.026 (0–1.179), and 0.015 (0.009–0.118) for HFRS patients, vaccinated subjects, endemic controls, and non-endemic controls, respectively. There...