Disease: Seoul virus
This page provides general information about this condition; reveal the text by clicking on the green headers. Press releases, results from DWHC investigations as well as other useful documents and relevant literature can be found at the bottom of the page.
Pathogen
Seoul virus is a species of Hanta viruses that are carried by rodents and can cause a serious disease in humans known as hemorrhagic fever with nephritis syndrome.
Susceptible species
Whilst rodents can be infected with this virus they do not become ill. Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) and black rats (Rattus rattus) are the host animals for Seoul virus and their global distribution makes it likely that Seoul virus also has a worldwide distribution. Humans are susceptible to infection with this virus and may develop disease. Humans and other non-rodent mammals in which evidence of Hanta virus infection has been identified (e.g. cats, dogs, moose, foxes and bats) are considered dead-end hosts i.e. infected individuals are not thought to spread the disease.
Signs in animals
Generally, infected rats do not become ill and carry the infection without clinical signs throughout their lives. It has been reported that infected male brown rats may show more aggression towards one another than non-infected rats.
Disease associated with Hanta virus infection in animals other than humans has not been reported.
Infection of animals
The virus is shed in rodent feces and urine and infection is maintained in rodent populations by horizontal spread, namely through the inhalation of virus particles in dried urine or feces. Virus may also be transmitted in saliva of infected animals making rodent bites a possible means of infection. Other non-rodent, dead-end hosts of the virus can be infected in the same way.
Symptoms in people
In Europe the majority of Hanta virus infections are thought to be sub-clinical (i.e. do not cause disease). In patients that do become ill, clinical signs may include fever, muscle pain, gastrointestinal signs, acute onset of low blood pressure and breathing difficulty.
Infection of people
Humans typically become infected by breathing in dust from dried rodent feces or urine. Although rare, rodent bits may also represent a means of virus transmission. Accordingly, people at most risk of infection include those who may come into contact with rodents, for example farmers, pest-controllers, hunters, hikers and campers. Infection is more likely in years when rodent populations are high.
Geographical distribution
Different species of Hanta viruses occur throughout the world. The first species to be identified in Europe was named Puumala virus after the region of Finland in which it was detected in its host, the bank vole. Seoul virus has a worldwide distribution; it has been detected in black and brown rats in several European countries and has been associated with a small number of cases of human disease. It was first detected in brown rats in the Netherlands in 2015.
Three other sorts of Hanta viruses that can cause disease in humans are known to occur in Europe; Dobrava virus carried by the yellow-neck mouse, Saaremaa virus carried by the striped field mouse, and Tula virus carried by the common vole.
Preventative measures
As the virus is found in wild rats, control of the disease is difficult. Effective rodent control programs as well as facilitating the survival of natural predators such as foxes and birds of prey may minimise the risk of exposure of human populations to infected animals. At-risk groups should observe good hygiene when exposure is likely, including the wearing of gloves and masks and disinfectant of equipment used in trapping and handling rodents.
Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals and Birds in Europe (1). Somerset, GB: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 29 September 2016.
External information
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