Description of an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in the southern Jura Mountains, France, in 2021

A Brun; M Greusard; J M Reynes; M Grenier; J Bamoulid; P Giraudoux; Q Lepiller; C Chirouze; K Bouiller; B Bailly

doi:10.1016/j.idnow.2022.12.004

Description of an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in the southern Jura Mountains, France, in 2021

Infect Dis Now. 2023 Jun;53(4):104639. doi: 10.1016/j.idnow.2022.12.004. Epub 2023 Jan 5.

Authors

A Brun¹, M Greusard², J M Reynes³, M Grenier⁴, J Bamoulid⁵, P Giraudoux⁶, Q Lepiller⁷, C Chirouze⁸, K Bouiller⁸, B Bailly⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of infectious disease, Hospital of Lons Le Saunier, F-39000 Lons Le Saunier, France.
² Department of general medicine, Hospital of Besancon, F-25000, France.
³ Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Environnement et Risques Infectieux, Centre National de Référence des Hantavirus, Paris, France.
⁴ Department of medical laboratory, Hospital of Lons Le Saunier, F-39000 Lons Le Saunier, France.
⁵ Department of nephrology, University Hospital of Besancon, F-25000 Besançon, France.
⁶ Chrono-environment, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté/CNRS, F-25000 Besançon, France.
⁷ Department of Virology, University Hospital of Besancon F-25000, France.
⁸ UMR-CNRS 6249 Chrono-environnement, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-25000 Besançon, France; Department of infectious disease, University Hospital of Besancon F-25000, France.
⁹ Department of infectious disease, Hospital of Lons Le Saunier, F-39000 Lons Le Saunier, France; Department of infectious disease, University Hospital of Besancon F-25000, France. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 36621612
DOI: 10.1016/j.idnow.2022.12.004

Abstract

Objective: The aim of our study was to describe the 2021 Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) outbreak in the southern Jura Mountains.

Patients and methods: We included all laboratory-confirmed cases of HFRS reported between April and September 2021 in the three local hospitals.

Results: A total of 90 patients were enrolled in the study: 73 hospitalized and 17 non-hospitalized patients. Transient myopia was only reported in non-hospitalized patients. Forty (44.4 %) patients underwent medical imaging before hantavirus diagnosis. Twenty-one patients (28.8 %) had a plasma creatinine level > 353.6 µmol/L, no patient developed severe metabolic disorder. Only one patient was dialyzed. A pacemaker was implanted before diagnosis of HFRS due to severe bradycardia in one patient. Sudden death was reported in one patient.

Conclusion: This hantavirus epidemic led to numerous hospitalizations, one dialysis treatment, and one death. Early diagnosis by rapid test could avoid unnecessary investigations.

Keywords: Hantavirus; Hemorrhagic fever; Puumala virus.

MeSH terms

Disease Outbreaks
Epidemics*
France / epidemiology
Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome* / diagnosis
Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome* / epidemiology
Humans
Kidney