First report of an imported case of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in South Africa

Authors

  • N Moolla Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Tshwane, South Africa
  • D Adler Department of Medicine, Sandton MediClinic, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • L Blumberg Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • A Glass Department of Medicine, Sandton MediClinic, Johannesburg, South Africa; Lancet Laboratories, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • A Grobbelaar Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • C le Roux Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • J Paweska Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Tshwane, South Africa; Department of Molecular Pathology, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • J Weyer Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Tshwane, South Africa; Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2022.v112i8.16540

Keywords:

Hantaviruses, NICD

Abstract

Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is caused by hantavirus infection. Hantaviruses are not endemic to South Africa, and we report the first detection of an imported case of HFRS in the country. The case involved a traveller from Croatia who presented to a Johannesburg hospital with an acute febrile illness with renal dysfunction. The patient reported visiting rurally located horse stables in Croatia before falling ill, and that a worker in the stables with similar illness was diagnosed with HFRS. Given the exposure history and clinical findings of the case, a clinical diagnosis of HFRS was made and confirmed by laboratory testing

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Published

2022-08-02

Issue

Section

In Practice

How to Cite

1.
Moolla N, Adler D, Blumberg L, Glass A, Grobbelaar A, le Roux C, et al. First report of an imported case of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in South Africa. S Afr Med J [Internet]. 2022 Aug. 2 [cited 2025 Oct. 7];112(8):519-25. Available from: https://samajournals.co.za/index.php/samj/article/view/100

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