Hantavirus serologies in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia

In many patients, the etiology of community-acquired pneumonia is not known but may be caused by previously undescribed pathogens in some cases. The recently identified hantavirus Sin Nombre (SN) causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Because sporadic cases have occurred outside the range of its reservoir (the deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus), an investigation sought to determine whether hantaviruses contributed to cases of community- acquired pneumonia in a large Baltimore hospital. Acute-phase sera from 385 hospitalized patients with pneumonia were examined using an IgG ELISA technique with antigens prepared from several hantaviruses: prototype Hantaan (HTN), Seoul (SEO), Puumala (PUU), Convict Creek (HN107), and SN. Of 385 sera, 8 (2.1%) showed some reactivity with one or more HTN, SEO, or PUU antigens but none had detectable specific IgM antibodies. No sera were reactive with SN or HN107 antigens. Thus, hantaviruses are an uncommon cause of community-acquired pneumonia in the Baltimore area.