Surveillance on hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Guangzhou city from 2000 to 2003

  Objective   To describe the epidemiologic characteristics and trends of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS)in Guangzhou city from 2000 to 2003 and provide scientific basis for formulating control measures.

  Methods   Data on the incidence rate was collected from the whole city to describe the epidemiologic characteristics of HFRS. Immunofluorescence assay (IFA), viral culture and PCR were used to screen antibodies in HFRS patients serums and antigens in rats lung tissues respectively.

  Results   247 patients were seropositive from 2000 to 2003(with an annual incidence rate of 0.59/100 000-0.63/100 000) and most of them were young male peasants and workers. Much of the cases were from Tianhe, Haizhu and Panyu districts. Dominant peak was observed in spring. Surveillance on rats demonstrated 5.4% rats carried type hantavirus(with a density of 6.78%)and the main host was sewer rat. The rats with virus had the same territorial and seasonal distribution as HFRS patients.

  Conclusion   The incidence rate of HFRS in Guangzhou city from 2000-2003 showed a stable trend, but the risk factors still widely existed, so measures must be taken such as surveillance on patients and rats, reduction rats before dominant peak, inject main populations and so on in order to decrease the incidence of HFRS.