Identification of hantavirus infection by Western blot assay and TaqMan PCR in patients hospitalized with acute kidney injury

Hantaviruses, one of the causative agents of viral hemorrhagic fevers, represent a considerable healthcare threat. In Hungary, Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV) and Puumala virus (PUUV) are the main circulating hantavirus species, responsible for the clinical picture known as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, a disease that may be accompanied by acute kidney injury (AKI), requiring hospitalization with occasionally prolonged recovery phase. A total of 20 patient sera were collected over a 2-year period from persons hospitalized with AKI, displaying clinical signs and laboratory findings directly suggestive for hantavirus infection. Samples were tested using an immunoblot assay, based on complete viral nucleocapsid proteins to detect patients' IgM and IgG antibodies against DOBV and PUUV. In parallel, all specimens were also tested by 1-step real-time TaqMan reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to confirm infection and to determine the causative hantavirus genotype. We present here the first Hungarian clinical study spanning across 2 years and dedicated specifically to assess acute kidney injuries, in the context of hantavirus prevalence.