Hantavirus Antibodies, Serum

Hantavirus IgG; Hantavirus IgM; Interpretation

Serum

Two major groups of hantaviruses are recognized based on clinical presentation. The first group includes Sin Nombre Virus (SNV), which causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe and sometimes fatal form of acute respiratory distress. A second group of hantaviruses (including Seoul, Hantaan, Dobrava, and Puumala) causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, a condition not typically seen in the United States. Sera are screened for IgG and IgM antibodies recognizing the nucleocapsid protein common to all hantaviruses. The lack of IgM rules out acute SNV infection. A small number of SNV IgM postive (but Hanta IgG negative) samples represent false positive reactivity associated with acute cytomegalovirus or Epstein Barr virus infection.