Person-to-Person Transmission of Andes Virus

摘要

Despite the fact that rodents are considered to be theinfectious source of hantavirus for humans, another routeof transmission was demonstrated. Andes virus (ANDV)has been responsible for most of the cases recorded inArgentina. Person-to-person transmission of ANDV Soutlineage was described during an outbreak of hantaviruspulmonary syndrome in southwest Argentina. In this study,we analyzed 4 clusters that occurred in 2 disease-endemicareas for different ANDV lineages. We found new evidenceof interhuman transmission for ANDV Sout lineage anddescribed the first event in which another lineage, ANDVCent BsAs, was implicated in this mechanism of transmis-sion. On the basis of epidemiologic and genetic data, weconcluded that person-to-person spread of the virus likelytook place during the prodromal phase or shortly after itended, since close and prolonged contact occurred in theevents analyzed here, and the incubation period was15–24 days