Serologically verified hantavirus infections in Hungary.

Between 1987 and 1993 the etiological diagnosis of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) of 55 patients was confirmed using hantavirus-specific serology. The geographical distribution of cases indicated that at least two different territories of Hungary are endemic for hantaviruses. These possible natural foci are different from, but overlapping with the region endemic for tick-borne encephalitis virus. Patients sera were shown to react differently with reagents prepared from different hantaviruses, indicating that different types are present simultaneously in both natural foci.