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Epidemiological Characteristics of Hantavirus Infections in France in 2015

Hantavirus infection is characterized by flu-like symptoms, accompanied by severe pain, thrombocytopenia, and kidney damage, which can lead to kidney failure. The incubation period averages 15 days and can range from one week to two months. Humans are generally infected through indirect contact by inhaling dust contaminated with the excreta of infected animals. There is no human-to-human transmission. In France, the known risk factors for infection with the Puumala virus include woodworking in forests, performing earthwork, or cleaning uninhabited premises (barns, sheds, etc.) infested with these rodents.From 2005 to 2015, 1,210 human cases of hantavirus infection (most commonly Puumala virus) were identified in France by the National Reference Center2, with a peak in 2005 (253 cases) and a low in 2013 (14 cases). In 2015, 124 cases were confirmed by the CNR. The peak in detection usually occurs in late spring. In Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, 38 cases were recorded, including 13 in Doubs, 10 in Haute-Saône, and 7 in Jura, the region’s most affected departments.