Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome

Ji Yun Noh, Jaehun Jung, Jin Won Song

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    21 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    In Korea, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) was first reported in a United Nations (UN) soldier stationed in the central front, also known as the "Iron Triangle". In 1976, professor Ho Wang Lee discovered an antigen in the lung and kidney tissues of Apodemus agrarius. In 1980, this novel virus was named Hantaan virus after the Hantaan river. The Old World Hantaviruses, which are usually found in East Asia and Europe, are generally transmitted to humans via the respiratory pathway during dry seasons, usually in late spring and fall. Currently, 300 - 600 cases per year are reported in Korea with a mortality rate of 1 - 2%. The typical clinical course of HFRS is classified into five phases: febrile, hypotensive, oliguric, diuretic, and convalescent. And treatment for HFRS is mostly conservative. A vaccine for the Hantaan virus was developed in 1988 and marketed in 1990. Because HFRS outbreaks mostly occur in regions near the truce line in Korea, vaccination is virtually the only protection against the virus among military personnel working in such regions and local residents. Therefore, proving the effectiveness of the HFRS vaccine and devising efficient vaccination plans have been considered a major task for Korea's health authorities.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)405-413
    Number of pages9
    JournalInfection and Chemotherapy
    Volume51
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2019 Dec 1

    Bibliographical note

    Funding Information:
    This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (NRF-2017M3A9E4061992).

    Publisher Copyright:
    Copyright © 2019 by The Korean Society of Infectious Diseases, Korean Society for Antimicrobial Therapy, and The Korean Society for AIDS.

    Keywords

    • Epidemiology
    • Family hantaviridae
    • Hantavirus
    • Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Infectious Diseases
    • Pharmacology (medical)

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